MP AA Rahim Challenges Delhi Police Biometric Surveillance in Supreme Court

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament AA Rahim filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India challenging the Delhi Police's use of facial recognition technology and biometric surveillance during July 2026 protests at Jantar Mantar. The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down on July 25.

The petition alleges that since June 20, 2026, the Delhi Police operated in a legal vacuum, deploying drones, CCTV, AI-enabled smart glasses from AjnaLens, the Ikshana vehicle from Aditya Infotech, and the Abhigyan mobile application. The plea argues that these tools were used to monitor protesters, journalists, and the public without a statutory framework or privacy impact assessments, violating constitutional rights to privacy, free speech, and peaceful assembly.

Rahim claims the technology, originally intended for tracing missing or deceased persons, allows data to be stored indefinitely in national criminal databases without accountability. The legal challenge seeks a declaration that these measures are unconstitutional, a restraint on their use until a legal framework is established, and the deletion of biometric data for individuals not connected to cognizable offenses. The petition also names private vendors Aditya Infotech Ltd and Dimension NXG Pvt Ltd for handling sensitive data without public disclosure of processing agreements.