Case has been registered against journalist for exposing vulnerability of Aadhaar data security: Picture for representation. (Photo: PTI)

Acting on a complaint by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Delhi police have filed a case against journalist Rachna Khaira for purchasing Aadhaar data. But, this is not the first time that the UIDAI has tried to shoot the messenger.

The UIDAI had filed another case against a journalist in March last year on the charges of attempting to access Aadhaar data without having been authorised. The journalist had got two Aadhaar IDs on same biometric information: one original and another fake.

It was done to expose how some people were taking advantage of the loopholes in the system. The UIDAI responded by getting an FIR registered against the journalist instead of fixing the flaw.

The FIR still stands and the journalist continues to be questioned by the crime branch. Meanwhile, the UIDAI blocked his original Aadhaar card.

In the present case, the journalist tried to expose the loopholes and show that security breach in Aadhaar biometric system was possible. The UIDAI has treated this as an act of cheating, forgery, use of fraudulent means and an offence under the IT Act.

The complaint said that the journalist used a false identity to procure Aadhaar data and made payment through an online app. It further stated that the journalist and other accused are in possession of large data and thus case needed to be registered.

FIR lodged in Aadhaar leak story. FIR lodged in Aadhaar leak story.

The police today said that the FIR was lodged against unknown suspects and not against the journalist. Police also said that the FIR is "open ended".

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees' Organisations today demanded that the FIR should be withdrawn.

But, sources in Delhi police said that it would not be easy to cancel or quash the FIR. Delhi police can now cancel the FIR only after securing permission from the Delhi High Court, the source said.

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