A large number of Aadhaar cards were found strewn along the banks of the Netravati river near the 10th Mile stone close to Farangipete, raising serious concerns among residents.

Locals spotted several Aadhaar cards floating in the river on the evening of March 3 and informed the Gram Panchayat. Panchayat president Ramlon Maripalla and other officials visited the spot and found that the cards carried addresses of residents from Pudu village.

The discovery has triggered suspicion over how the official identity documents ended up in the river.

Allegations Against Postal Department

Responding to the incident, the Panchayat president said many villagers had applied for corrections to their Aadhaar details and were awaiting delivery by post. In the meantime, they had obtained copies from cyber centres.

He alleged that although the Aadhaar cards had reportedly arrived, they were not distributed to the intended recipients, and raised questions over the role of the postal department.

Demand for Probe

Villagers have demanded a thorough investigation to determine whether the cards were deliberately discarded or accidentally dumped into the river.

“We were waiting for our Aadhaar cards to arrive by post. Instead, they reached us through the river,” a resident remarked sarcastically.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.