The Supreme Court of India has ruled that courts cannot mandate accused individuals to share their Google PIN location as a condition for bail. This landmark decision emphasizes the protection of privacy rights under the Indian Constitution.
Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court ruled against requiring Google PIN location sharing as a bail condition.
- The decision was made to protect the privacy rights of the accused.
- The ruling overturns a previous Delhi High Court order.
Background
The Supreme Court’s decision came in response to an appeal against a 2022 Delhi High Court order. The High Court had mandated that accused individuals share their Google Maps PIN location with investigating officers as a condition for interim bail. This condition was imposed on Frank Vitus, a Nigerian national accused in a drugs case, and a co-accused.
The Verdict
A Bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan delivered the verdict, stating that such a bail condition would defeat the very purpose of granting bail. The Bench emphasized that allowing police to constantly track the movement of the accused would amount to an invasion of privacy.
“There cannot be bail conditions defeating the purpose of bail. Google PIN cannot be a condition; police cannot peep into the accused’s private life for bail,” the Bench stated.
Legal Implications
The Supreme Court’s ruling aligns with the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The Court had previously directed Google India to explain the technical aspects of its PIN location-sharing feature. The decision also relaxes the condition requiring foreign accused to obtain an assurance from their embassy that they would not leave India.
Previous Cases
This is not the first time the Supreme Court has objected to such bail conditions. In July of the previous year, the Court had taken strong objection to a similar condition imposed in the Shakti Bhog Bank fraud case. The accused in that case were required to constantly share their location with the police via Google PIN.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s ruling is a significant step in safeguarding the privacy rights of individuals. By overturning the Delhi High Court’s order, the Court has reinforced the principle that bail conditions should not infringe upon the fundamental rights of the accused.
Sources
- Courts cannot order accused to share Google pin location as condition for bail: Supreme Court, Bar and Bench.
- Courts can’t order accused to share Google location as condition for bail: Supreme Court | India News – The Indian Express, The Indian Express.
- Courts Cannot Mandate Sharing Google Pin Location as Bail Condition: Supreme Court, India.Com.
- Courts can’t order accused to share Google pin location as bail condition, rules Supreme Court : The Tribune India, Tribune India.
- SC rules against requiring Google PIN location sharing as bail condition to protect privacy, The New Indian Express.