Lok Sabha passes criminal procedure (Identification) Bill

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 allows law enforcement agencies to collect samples of a convict’s biometric details, such as fingerprints and iris scans as well as biological samples from convicts and other persons to help identify criminals and investigate crimes.

The bill applies to anyone who has been convicted under any law or is arrested for any offence or is detained under any preventive detention law.

The data collected will be retained for 75 years from the date of collection.

“The whole world is using databases we should too. As long as we continue to follow the same old path, we will also have to move forward with the times,” Union home minister Amit Shah said.

“I believe that delayed justice is of no use. The guilty should be punished on time and justice is done only then the rule of law will be established,” added Amit Shah.

He took a dig at Opposition party leaders who expressed concern about possible human rights violations due to the bill and said that some people are only concerned about the criminals.

“Those who are crying for human rights regarding The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, I ask them that those who are harassed by criminals do not have human rights? You are only concerned about the criminals, Modi government is concerned about the people who live on the basis of law,” said the Union Minister.