LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST GUIDELINES
Last updated: 1 August 2026
1. PURPOSE
These guidelines explain how authorised law-enforcement agencies and other competent public authorities may submit requests for information held by Rishta.uk.
Rishta.uk respects member privacy and assesses every request individually.
Information will be disclosed only where disclosure is required by law or where Rishta.uk is satisfied that disclosure is otherwise lawful, necessary and proportionate.
2. CONTACT FOR OFFICIAL REQUESTS
Official requests must be submitted in writing to:
info@rishta.uk
Suggested email subject:
LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST – [AGENCY NAME AND REFERENCE]
Requests should normally be sent from an official police, court, government or authorised-agency email address.
Rishta.uk does not accept official law-enforcement requests through WhatsApp, social media, telephone calls or informal personal messages.
3. INFORMATION TO INCLUDE
A request should include:
• the full name of the requesting authority;
• the requesting officer’s or representative’s full name;
• rank, position or official role;
• official telephone number and email address;
• case, crime or investigation reference;
• the legal authority relied upon;
• a copy of any relevant warrant, court order, production order or statutory notice;
• sufficient information to identify the relevant Rishta.uk account;
• a clear description of the information requested;
• the relevant date range;
• an explanation of why the information is required;
• any applicable deadline;
• details of any legal restriction on notifying the affected member.
Account identifiers may include a username, registered email address, UK mobile number or other specific information.
4. VERIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT
Before responding, Rishta.uk may verify:
• the identity and authority of the requester;
• the authenticity of the request and supporting documents;
• the legal basis relied upon;
• whether the request is sufficiently clear and specific;
• whether the requested disclosure is lawful, necessary and proportionate;
• whether the requesting authority has appropriate jurisdiction.
Rishta.uk may request clarification, narrower wording, additional documentation or formal legal process before disclosing information.
Rishta.uk reserves the right to obtain legal advice.
5. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
Rishta.uk may disclose information where:
• required by a valid court order, warrant, statutory notice or other binding legal obligation;
• permitted under applicable data-protection law;
• necessary and proportionate for the prevention, investigation or detection of crime;
• reasonably necessary to protect a person’s life or address an imminent risk of serious harm;
• otherwise lawfully justified.
Rishta.uk will seek to disclose only the minimum amount of information reasonably necessary for the lawful purpose.
A request may be declined, challenged or narrowed where it is:
• informal or unverifiable;
• excessively broad;
• unsupported by an adequate legal basis;
• outside the requester’s authority or jurisdiction;
• disproportionate to the stated purpose;
• technically impossible to fulfil.
6. INFORMATION THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE
Depending on what Rishta.uk holds, what remains available and what may lawfully be disclosed, information may include:
• account-registration information;
• profile information;
• registered contact details;
• account status and relevant dates;
• subscription and transaction records;
• reports and moderation records;
• technical or login information;
• relevant communications retained by the platform.
This list does not mean that Rishta.uk holds every type of information listed.
Rishta.uk cannot provide information that it does not hold or that has been lawfully deleted.
Full payment-card details are normally handled by the relevant payment processor and may need to be requested directly from that provider.
7. EMERGENCY REQUESTS
A request concerning an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm should be clearly marked:
URGENT – EMERGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST
The request should explain:
• the nature of the emergency;
• the person believed to be at risk;
• the specific information required;
• why that information is necessary;
• why ordinary legal procedures cannot be completed in time;
• how the requesting authority can be contacted immediately.
Emergency requests will be assessed individually. Marking a request as urgent does not automatically guarantee disclosure.
8. PRESERVATION REQUESTS
An authorised law-enforcement agency may request temporary preservation of specifically identified information pending appropriate legal process.
The request should identify:
• the relevant account;
• the particular information to be preserved;
• the relevant date range;
• the legal basis;
• the requested preservation period;
• when formal legal process is expected.
Rishta.uk will consider preservation requests where they are lawful, sufficiently specific and technically possible.
Preservation does not itself authorise disclosure.
9. MEMBER NOTIFICATION
Where lawful and appropriate, Rishta.uk may notify an affected member that information has been requested or disclosed.
Notification may be delayed or withheld where:
• prohibited by law, court order or valid legal direction;
• notification could prejudice an investigation;
• notification could create a risk of harm;
• notification could result in destruction of evidence;
• another lawful exemption applies.
10. INTERNATIONAL REQUESTS
Authorities outside the United Kingdom may be required to use:
• applicable international legal-assistance procedures;
• recognised cross-border legal processes;
• a valid UK court order;
• another legally recognised form of UK authority.
A foreign request will not automatically result in disclosure merely because it has been issued by an overseas authority.
11. NO INFORMAL DISCLOSURE
Rishta.uk will not disclose member information merely because it is requested by:
• a family member;
• a friend or spouse;
• a private investigator;
• a solicitor without appropriate legal authority;
• an employer;
• a person claiming informally to represent the police;
• anyone using an unverifiable email address or account.
Members seeking their own information should use the procedure described in the Privacy Policy rather than this law-enforcement process.
12. SECURITY AND RECORD-KEEPING
Rishta.uk may keep an internal record of:
• the request received;
• identity and verification checks;
• the legal basis considered;
• the information disclosed;
• the reason for the decision;
• the date and method of disclosure.
Information will be transferred using security measures appropriate to its sensitivity.
13. CONTACT
Official law-enforcement requests should be submitted to:
info@rishta.uk
General customer-support enquiries should also be sent to info@rishta.uk but should not be labelled as law-enforcement requests.