SC reserves verdict on pleas challenging Aadhaar

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May 10, 2018

ET Online|

Updated: May 10, 2018, 06.26 PM IST

Watch: SC reserves verdict on pleas challenging validity of Aadhaar

Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on multiple pleas which challenged the constitutional validity of Aadhaar. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed all the parties concerned to file their written submissions to put forth their case.

SC's verdict assumes a special significance, after senior advocate Shyam Divan on Wednesday, who is representing a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Aadhaar Act, said that no counselling or written consent was taken before taking biometrics during Aadhaar enrolment.

While critics argued that said that while Aadhaar violates privacy and helps government to keep a close watch on people, the government has said citizens have a right to privacy but it is not an absolute right.

Arguments which spanned over four months, the Centre had strongly defended its decision to link Aadhaar numbers with mobile phones, telling the Supreme Court that it could have been hauled up for contempt if the verification of mobile users was not undertaken by it.

The Supreme Court through its judgement is expected to lay down whether right to privacy can be elevated to the status of a fundamental right under the Constitution.