Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Goa Police is preparing to approach the High Court of Bombay at Goa after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) declined to share Aadhaar-related documents of Israeli national Yaniv Benaim, alias Atala, citing legal limitations.
Atala is currently under investigation by the ANC for alleged possession of narcotics, while the Anjuna Police are separately probing his illegal stay in the country without valid documentation. The ANC had formally requested the UIDAI to furnish the documents submitted by Atala for obtaining an Aadhaar card. However, the UIDAI, in its written response, refused to comply, invoking Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, which restricts disclosure of identity information unless authorized by a competent court.
Despite this, sources confirmed that foreigners are eligible for Aadhaar if they provide valid documents such as a passport and proof of local residence, and have resided in India for over 182 days in the preceding year. The ANC suspects that Atala may have misused or falsified documents to secure the identification, and now intends to seek the High Court’s intervention to obtain the necessary records for the ongoing criminal probe.
Meanwhile, the Anjuna Police have taken custody of Atala from the ANC as part of their separate investigation into his alleged unlawful stay in India. The case was initiated based on a complaint filed by the ANC.
Additionally, investigators have summoned a man from Kolkata who owns the premises where Atala had been staying after securing bail in a 2019 attempted murder case registered at the Anjuna Police Station. Authorities are probing whether the owner failed to verify Atala’s legal status before providing accommodation.
The case is currently being supervised by DySP Nerlon Albuquerque.
