Today, the Supreme Court requested a response to a plea requesting an alternative digital KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure for victims of acid attacks and those who have permanent eye damage from the Center, the Reserve Bank of India, and other parties.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra described the petition filed by nine acid attack survivors as a “important issue” and sent notice to the Union government, Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and other parties regarding the plea.
“We will issue notice. This is an important issue and we will hear it,” the bench said.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by acid attack activist Pragya Prasun and others seeking an alternate digital KYC process for acid attack survivors with eye disfigurement.
The petition stated that one of the petitioners, with severe eye damage due to an acid attack, went to ICICI Bank in 2023 to open a bank account.
The petitioner was unable to do so as she was incapable of completing the Digital KYC/e-KYC process due to the bank’s insistence on completing the requirement of capturing a “live photograph” by blinking her eyes.
According to the plea, many victims of acid attacks who have permanent eye disfigurement and others who experience similar difficulties are unable to obtain SIM cards or open bank accounts on their own.
According to the petition, these accessibility obstacles prevent victims of acid attacks from getting the necessities for a dignified, independent, and equitable life as well as from engaging in day-to-day activities.
It was suggested that the Center broaden or elucidate the definition of “live photograph” to include criteria other than eye blinking, like facial expressions or speech recognition.
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