KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed the state government’s order allowing the IT division of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative (ULCC) Society to access sensitive police data as part of ‘Blockchain passport verification’. On a petition filed by KPCC secretary Jyothikumar Chamakkala challenging the order, Justice P B Sureshkumar asked how can a government that refuses to share information on Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems with even the High Court shares the same details with a private labour contract company. The court also stayed the order directing to pay `35 lakh to ULCC for completion of proof of concept for blockchain-based police verification.
According to the petitioner, disclosure of any information as regards the citizen to a private party is against the privacy of every citizen. As a consequence of the order issued by the state police chief, the entire information that is with the police will be obtained by the cooperative society which is under the control of the CPM.
The police have granted access to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems to the society and there was no restriction imposed. When the access so is given was in its entirety, the whole crime data with the state police is parted to the society without any guarantee for the safety of information about the citizen.Passing the interim order, the court also issued a notice to the state government and directed to file an affidavit.