UIDAI accuses Ola-owned Qarth of Aadhaar data misuse

The Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) has filed a complaint against Ola-owned Qarth Technologies for misusing data accessed from the Aadhaar website.

Chennai-based Qarth Technologies was acquired by cab aggregator Ola in March 2016, in a bid to strengthen Ola’s mobile wallet service, Ola Money.

The complaint has been filed against Qarth Technologies co-founder Abhinav Srivastava and the company of developing an app and accessing details on the Aadhaar website without authentication.

Ashok Lenin, Deputy Director of UIDAI’s regional office at Bengaluru, told ET, “Qarth workers have developed an app and accessed details on the Aadhaar website without authentication and provided the same as e-KYC details. The accused has joined hands with miscreants in leaking Aadhaar information and illegally using the same.”

Qarth had developed a mobile payments app called X-Pay that integrated with 26 banks in India to enable customers with accounts at these banks make one touch mobile payments or money transfers.

“We have never used Aadhaar for KYC. The app is no longer available. Moreover, I have not been informed about the FIR or any charges against me,” Prerit Srivastava, co-founder, Qarth Technologies told The Hindu.

The report said that Bengaluru Police has registered a FIR under different sections, including 37 and 38 of Aadhaar Act 2016, Sections 65 and 66 of IT Act of 2000, and IPC Sections 120 B, 468 and 271.