Nart Villeneuve reports that Google handed over information on one of the users of its Orkut social network to Indian police.

After a request from Indian Law Enforcement, Google handed over the IP address of an Orkut user. The Indian Law Enforcement asked the ISP Airtel for information about the “owner” of that IP and Lakshmana Kailash K. was arrested. However, it turns out that Airtel did not hand over the correct information to Indian police, Mr. Kailash was released three weeks later.

According to Chris Sogian on his Cnet blog:

On August 31, Lakshmana Kailash K. was arrested in Bangalore, India, and charged with posting insulting images of a revered historical figure on the Internet. The police claimed that he had uploaded disrespectful images of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Indian equivalent of George Washington.

Once Google divulged the IP address, a local ISP provided the identity. In the sense that they didn’t. LKK was not the right guy. So, Google gave it up to another foreign security service and they wound up getting the wrong guy.

Good job, Google. You’ve done Yahoo one better. It’s only a shame that Mr. Kailash only spent three weeks in jail instead of ten years. I have faith in you. Next time you give it up to a security force, I’m sure you’ll get it right.