Karnataka Speaker seeks probe into large number of Aadhaar cards discarded near river

Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader has written to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to conduct a probe into the large number of Aadhaar cards discarded on the banks of Netravati river at Farangipet, under Pudu village, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, on March 3.

In his March 4 letter to Project Manager, UIDAI, Khanija Bhavan, Bengaluru, Mr. Khader, who is the MLA of Mangaluru constituency, said that the president of Pudu gram panchayat and other local people had come across the cards on March 3, and gathered them. “Later, they informed me,” he said.

The Speaker asked the UIDAI to conduct a probe into why such a large number of Aadhaar cards were strewn on the banks of the river, and trace the persons who were responsible. “Legal measures should be taken suitably later,” he said.

On March 5, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada K. Raju told The Hindu that the Tahsildar conducted the spot mahazar (inspection and inventory) on March 4. Further investigation is on, he added.