Was UIDAI helpline number 'inadvertently' coded in 2014 or 2015? Google to answer
New Delhi, Aug 4: Google's admission that it had in 2014 inadvertently coded the 112 distress number and the UIDAI helpline number into its setup wizard for Android devices triggered another controversy on Saturday as India's telecom regulator had only recommended the use of 112 as an emergency number in April 2015.
After a large section of smartphone users in India saw a toll-free helpline number of UIDAI saved in their phonebooks by default, Google issued a statement, saying its "internal review revealed that in 2014, the then UIDAI helpline number and the 112 distress helpline number were inadvertently coded into the SetUp wizard of the Android release given to OEMs for use in India and has remained there since".
However, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended only in April 2015 that the number 112 be adopted as the single emergency number for the country.
According to Google, "since the numbers get listed on a user's contact list, these get transferred accordingly to the contacts on any new device".
Google was yet to comment on the new development.
Meanwhile, a French security expert that goes by the name of Elliot Alderson and has been at the core of the entire Aadhaar controversy, tweeted on Saturday: "I just found something interesting. I will probably do a full disclosure tomorrow".
"I'm digging into the code of the @Google SetupWizard app and I found that".
"As far as I can see this object is not used in the current code, so there is no implications. This is just a poor coding practice in term of security," he further tweeted.
On Friday, both the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as well as the telecom operators washed their hand of the issue.
While the telecom industry denied any role in the strange incident, the UIDAI said that some vested interests were trying to create "unwarranted confusion" in the public and clarified that it had not asked any manufacturer or telecom service provider to provide any such facility.
Twitter was abuzz with the new development after a huge uproar due to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma's open Aadhaar challenge to critics and hackers.
Ethical hackers exposed at least 14 personal details of the TRAI Chairman, including mobile numbers, home address, date of birth, PAN number and voter ID among others.
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Maharashtra farmer’s kidney sale in Cambodia exposes suspected international organ racket
Mumbai: A 36-year-old dairy farmer from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district allegedly sold his kidney in Cambodia after mounting debts and alleged harassment by moneylenders. His complaints has led police to uncover what they describe as a wider transnational organ trafficking network.
According to The Print, Roshan Kule is a resident of Minthur village. He approached police in December 2025, alleging that severe financial distress forced him to travel to Phnom Penh, where he underwent kidney removal surgery on October 14, 2024, at Preah Ket Mealea Hospital. He told investigators he received around ₹8 lakh for the organ.
The case was raised in the Maharashtra Assembly last week, where Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed authorities to expedite the probe.
Superintendent of Police Mummaka Sudarshan said investigators suspect an organised racket involving agents, medical professionals and hospitals. “So far, only Kule has come forward, but we believe there are more donors facing financial distress. We are persuading others to share information,” he said.
According to Kule’s complaint, his troubles began in March 2021 when all 12 of his cows contracted lumpy skin disease. After spending about ₹40,000 on treatment, he allegedly borrowed ₹1 lakh from a local moneylender at high interest. He claimed he was later threatened and assaulted for failing to repay the amount within the stipulated time.
Kule named several lenders in his complaint, alleging that between 2021 and 2022 he paid back over ₹48.5 lakh against loans of only a few lakh rupees. He said he sold land, pledged gold and gave up a tractor but remained under pressure.
Police said Kule contacted Ramkrushna Sunchu, a Solapur resident described as an intermediary in the network, after searching online for options. Investigators alleged that another agent, Himanshu Bhardwaj of Mohali, facilitated travel arrangements. Sunchu himself had previously sold a kidney, police said.
After returning to India, Kule reportedly traveled to Vietnam for job arranged by one of the agents, when he was allegedly beaten and his passport confiscated. He requested assistance from Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar in July 2025 and he was certified to return to India.
Police have registered cases against six people under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for extortion, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy, as well as parts of the Maharashtra Money Lending (Regulation) Act.
During the investigation, Bhardwaj was found to have earlier sold his kidney at Star Kims Hospital in Tamil Nadu. Authorities are probing the alleged involvement of the hospital’s managing director, Dr Rajaratnam Govindswamy, who is currently absconding after securing transit bail from the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.
Investigators also suspect the role of Delhi-based surgeon Dr Ravinderpal Singh, who allegedly performed transplant procedures linked to the network. The matter is being heard before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, which has granted Singh anticipatory bail and interim protection till March 11.
According to police, recipients were allegedly charged between ₹55 lakh and ₹60 lakh per transplant, with the money shared among doctors, agents, hospitals and donors. Sunchu and Bhardwaj are currently in custody.
The investigation is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team led by Additional SP Ishwar Katkade and further details are awaited.
