Telangana HC questions Aadhaar mandate for emergency ambulance services

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government to explain why ambulance services are being denied to accident victims and emergency patients lacking an Aadhaar card.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin issued the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by para-legal volunteer K Raju. The petitioner alleged that in December 2024, a minor girl from a Scheduled Caste community was refused transport by a 108 ambulance crew after being found injured on the roadside, solely due to missing Aadhaar identification.

Questioning the rationale, the court asked whether an injured person would be abandoned untreated for want of this document. When the Assistant Government Pleader defended the requirement, the bench expressed serious concern and ordered a counter-affidavit within two weeks. The case stands adjourned for three weeks.

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