The Supreme Court has raised concerns over the functioning of its registry after a public interest litigation (PIL) was delayed for over a year. The PIL, filed against foreign credit companies collecting and storing confidential financial data without consent, was last heard in February last year. Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi expressed their dissatisfaction, saying 'something fishy is going on in this court.'
The registrar has been directed to file a report explaining the delay. The matter will be heard again on April 10. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta stated that the matter requires an elaborate hearing, citing the home ministry's response to the PIL, which was submitted in 2024. Senior advocate K Parmeshwar submitted a note based on the government's response, which the court asked to be shared with Mehta. The government has been granted two weeks to file a response.
The PIL names four foreign companies and accuses them of collecting and processing confidential financial data. It also refers to five Indian companies and seeks directions to protect data privacy and secure financial information. The petitioner, Surya Prakash, claims that the companies' actions are prohibited under the Credit Information Companies Regulation Act, 2005.
