Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the organisation administering Aadhaar, has recently filed an official police complaint against the co-founder of a mobile payment startup accusing him of misusing Aadhaar data from its website.
According to a report in the Hindu, the complaint filed with the Bengaluru Police was registered by Ashok Lenin the Deputy Director at the UIDAI Regional Office in Bengaluru against Abhinav Srivastava of Qarth Technologies.
Founded in 2012 by Prerit Srivastava and Abhinav Srivastava, the Chennai-based company has gained popularity for creating the android app X-Pay, which is a convenient way of making secure payments 24x7. The app can be used across 26 banks hassle free with add on features to track and remind payments.
The Hindu report also revealed that they have an access to a copy of the FIR and it clearly accuses Srivastava of giving out e-KYC and misusing data from the Aadhaar's official website via a mobile application that he had created. The FIR goes to the lengths of accusing Srivastava of entering into a “conspiracy with others, misused Aadhaar data and leaked the information.”
According to the FIR, Srivastava has been booked under Section 29(2) of the Aadhaar act which restricts sharing Aadhaar data with others. In addition to that, he has also been booked under Sections 65 and 66 of the IT act and Sections 468 and 471 for forgery with Section 120(B) for conspiracy.
The newspaper report also mentioned that UIDAI is still not clear if Srivastava had illegally hacked into its database or used the authentication from a verified agency.
While UIDAI is clear with its stance and has taken a official step, Srivastava has unequivocally denied UIDAI's charges and claims. According to him, Qarth was a simple multi-bank mobile payment firm which stopped its operations in March last year. “We have never used Aadhaar for KYC. The app is no longer available," he said to the Hindu.
The report also claimed that a person close to Qarth has informed them that the company is on the verge of shutting down and has no employees on its rolls as of today.
According to latest development, the Bengaluru Police has transferred the case to the cybercrime police.
[Image: The Quint]
According to a report in the Hindu, the complaint filed with the Bengaluru Police was registered by Ashok Lenin the Deputy Director at the UIDAI Regional Office in Bengaluru against Abhinav Srivastava of Qarth Technologies.
Founded in 2012 by Prerit Srivastava and Abhinav Srivastava, the Chennai-based company has gained popularity for creating the android app X-Pay, which is a convenient way of making secure payments 24x7. The app can be used across 26 banks hassle free with add on features to track and remind payments.
The Hindu report also revealed that they have an access to a copy of the FIR and it clearly accuses Srivastava of giving out e-KYC and misusing data from the Aadhaar's official website via a mobile application that he had created. The FIR goes to the lengths of accusing Srivastava of entering into a “conspiracy with others, misused Aadhaar data and leaked the information.”
According to the FIR, Srivastava has been booked under Section 29(2) of the Aadhaar act which restricts sharing Aadhaar data with others. In addition to that, he has also been booked under Sections 65 and 66 of the IT act and Sections 468 and 471 for forgery with Section 120(B) for conspiracy.
The newspaper report also mentioned that UIDAI is still not clear if Srivastava had illegally hacked into its database or used the authentication from a verified agency.
While UIDAI is clear with its stance and has taken a official step, Srivastava has unequivocally denied UIDAI's charges and claims. According to him, Qarth was a simple multi-bank mobile payment firm which stopped its operations in March last year. “We have never used Aadhaar for KYC. The app is no longer available," he said to the Hindu.
The report also claimed that a person close to Qarth has informed them that the company is on the verge of shutting down and has no employees on its rolls as of today.
According to latest development, the Bengaluru Police has transferred the case to the cybercrime police.
[Image: The Quint]
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