Uttarakhand: On Friday, February 21, the Uttarakhand government told the High Court that the provision in the state's Uniform Civil Code (UCC) requiring mandatory Aadhaar-based registration of live-in relationships and submission of proof of previous relationships serves a distinct purpose and is not intended to collect people's private or personal details.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing both the state and central governments, requested time to submit a response with proposals to address the court and petitioner’s concerns.
"I will look into (the concerns) and will file an affidavit showing relevance (of seeking such details) and see what can be done…I'll suggest something…the purpose is different; we don't want any personal or private details to be recorded," Mehta said before a bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Ashish Naithani, according to a report by Live Law.
Mehta was responding to a petition filed by Samarth Aniruddha Bhagwat, challenging the mandatory registration of live-in relationships under the UCC. The plea specifically contests Form 3 of the UCC rules, which requires registrants to disclose private details of the couple's previous relationships.
Additionally, the petition indirectly challenges requirements such as submitting Aadhaar cards containing complete personal details, including addresses.
Plea Challenging Form 3 of the UCC Rules
On Tuesday, February 18, Senior Counsel Ramachandran argued before the HC that Form 3 requires extensive information from live-in partners, including details of their past relationships and divorce decrees.
Taking note of these arguments, the bench sought further instructions on the matter. In response to the court's directive, Mehta appeared before the court.
Additionally, the division bench issued a notice in a separate plea filed by Razia Baig and others, represented by Senior Advocate MR Shamshad, challenging the UCC for allegedly violating the Sharia law. The case has been tagged with other petitions against the UCC, as per the Live Law report.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 1.
