The petition argues that despite repeated judicial directions and specific rules on bail, the problem persists and weakens the justice system.The Punjab and Haryana High Court impleaded its Registrar General as a respondent and issued notice in a public interest litigation seeking full implementation of Aadhaar-based biometric verification for bail sureties to curb the use of fake identities and bonds in district courts.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOIn the order uploaded on Monday, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry also issued notices to Punjab, Haryana, the Union Territory of Chandigarh, UIDAI and NIC after their representatives sought time to respond.The PIL, filed in person on August 14 by Chandigarh-based Advocate Kanwar Pahul Singh, flags a growing problem of fake identities and surety bail bonds in criminal cases across district courts in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The petition argues that despite repeated judicial directions and specific rules on bail, the problem persists and weakens the justice system.A central plank of the plea is a May 10, 2024, order of a single bench in Sharanjit Singh Suraj vs State of Punjab and others, which had taken “strong note” of the misuse of fake sureties. The order directed Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to apply for Aadhaar authentication services in all court complexes within 30 days, and required the Centre to approve and provide equipment within 60 days. The system, including hardware and software for biometric check, was to become fully operational within four months.Once functional, courts were to collect full identity details including Aadhaar cards from sureties, take consent for verification, and have magistrates confirm Aadhaar details of accused persons and sureties. For first-time offenders accused of offences punishable with less than seven years, courts were asked to follow Supreme Court guidelines from the Hussainara Khatoon case and avoid insisting on sureties if basic parameters were met after Aadhaar verification.The 2024 order had also directed the adoption of a “surety module” integrating Aadhaar with immovable-property details offered as security, cross-verification across databases, and quarterly inspections of surety registers by principal district judges and chief judicial magistrates. The Registrar General was asked to issue circulars and frame rules to ensure uniform implementation.However, the current petition says these directions remain “wholly unimplemented” more than 17 months later. To verify this, the petitioner filed RTI applications across several districts between July 26 and August 13, 2025.Story continues below this adReplies from courts in Amritsar, SBS Nagar, Gurdaspur and Rupnagar in Punjab; Karnal, Gurugram, Bathinda and Kurukshetra in Haryana; and Sangrur in Punjab confirmed that no Aadhaar authentication services or biometric hardware had been installed. This, the petition states, shows “clear non-compliance” with the high court’s binding directions.The plea cites a June 11, 2025, news report on Khanna police busting a gang that had submitted fake bail bonds in nearly 25 cases, underscoring the continuing risks. The petitioner also notes that officials failed to respond to his representation despite the 60-day statutory limit.The petition states that because the 2024 directions were issued in regular bail matters—where applicants had no reason to pursue compliance after securing release—no steps such as contempt proceedings were initiated. With no one monitoring the systemic issue, the petitioner says he was compelled to approach the court through this PIL.The petitioner, a member of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, argues that the failure to act not only aids crime but erodes public confidence in the judicial process. He has sought immediate installation of the required infrastructure, strict enforcement of the 2024 guidelines, contempt proceedings against erring officials, and court-monitored progress reports from the Registrar General with periodic audits of surety registers.The matter will be heard next on December 16.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Punjab and Haryana High Court