The Indian government named a reporter in a police complaint after she wrote an article alleging a federal identity database breach, drawing criticism from a journalist group that accused officials of trying to muzzle free speech.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which runs the world's largest biometric identity card scheme called "Aadhaar," started investigating a report last week by The Tribune newspaper which said access to the identity database of more than 1 billion citizens was being sold for just 500 rupees, or $8, on social media.
UIDAI said Sunday that four people were named in its complaint to police in New Delhi to investigate the incident, including the reporter, and also her newspaper, which is based in the north Indian city of Chandigarh.