Jharkhand HC directs Centre, state to formulate SOP for accessing Aadhaar card details by police
Ranchi (PTI): The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the central and state governments to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) with regard to tracing Aadhaar card details of victims.
A bench comprising Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Arun Kumar Rai was hearing a petition filed by a woman, Chandramuni Urain, whose minor daughter has been missing since 2019 from Gumla.
The court was informed that the police had applied for tracing the Aadhaar card details of the minor victim, and the application has been pending for quite some time.
The court observed that this is a long process and will hamper the investigation of cases.
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Hence, a mechanism needs to be developed where tracing of the Aadhaar card required by the police becomes faster, the high court observed.
In cases of children, being victims of human trafficking, not all matters are reported to the police, and an SOP will be required for immediate intervention by the police to trace the whereabouts of victims, the bench said.
The court on Wednesday ordered the petitioner to make the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) director a party in the case.
The court was also informed that the police had registered an FIR on February 11 for the alleged assault made on Chandramuni Urain by villagers earlier this month under suspicion of practising witchcraft.
On directions of the High Court, a team of Jharkhand Legal Services Authority also presented a report on action taken after Chandramuni was assaulted in the village.
The case will again be heard on February 25.
The high court on Wednesday had slammed the Gumla superintendent of police for not taking action against those who assaulted Urain, branding her a witch.
Urain had moved the court to trace her missing daughter. She was six years old when she disappeared in 2019.
During the hearing, she had submitted that she was also assaulted by her co-villagers who branded her as a witch in the same year, but the police did not take action.
The police, on the other hand, said that the woman was not willing to lodge a formal complaint about the assault.
Urain had lodged a complaint in 2019 after her daughter went missing from the village.
However, since no significant action was taken by the police to recover her daughter, Urain filed a petition for habeas corpus before the high court on September 4, 2025, suspecting that her daughter is a victim of human trafficking.
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Oppn, X users flag concerns over US envoy Sergio Gor’s visit to Army’s western command
New Delhi: A visit by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, to Chandigarh on Monday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, raising questions about national security and foreign policy.
On X, Ambassador Gor announced his visit, writing, “Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army.”
Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 16, 2026
Soon after, opposition voices questioned the broader implications of the visit. Congress Kerala, in a post, commented, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings. Didn't they say then ‘Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?’ Compared to that, this is very small.”
Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings.
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) February 16, 2026
Didn't they say then "Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?"
Compared to that, this is very small. pic.twitter.com/gNNuAGQBPC
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, writing, “Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that.”
She further added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own government. US Ambassador is doing the job for his nation, who is doing for us? The answer is blowing in the wind.”
Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that. India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to… pic.twitter.com/rYMq5NhJHA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 16, 2026
The visit comes against the backdrop of the growing US-India defence partnership.
Writer and political analyst @rajuparulekar commented on ‘X’, “East India Company is back!”
“Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in india?” asked another user.
Several X users expressed concerns over the appropriateness of the visit.
One asked, “Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in India?” Another wrote, “Why an ambassador visiting our army places? To talk to Chandigarh lobby for F-35?”
Why an ambassador visiting our army places ? To talk to chandigarh lobby for f-35 ??
— Rohan Sagar (@RohanSagar03) February 16, 2026
“We have completely sold Indian sovereignty. Rothschild the evil Bankers will now control NSE. Modi sold Bharat Mata to Trump . And now American imperialist is visiting our army command . Scary,” wrote another user.
“The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?,” opined another.
The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?
— Aditya Pratap Singh (@Adi_IIMCIAN) February 16, 2026
On Sunday, Gor welcomed Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), highlighting efforts to expand the growing US-India defence partnership.
In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the U.S.-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
On Monday, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command along with the American envoy Sergio Gor. The delegation was briefed on the formation’s capabilities, its past operations, and future plans.
The American delegation also visited Bengaluru, where they met three start-ups, two in the space sector and one in defence, and participated in an Indo-US conference.
