Lok Sabha clears; criminal data bill, there will be no misuse says Amit Shah (home minister)

Lok Sabha clears Criminal Procedure Bill

Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the legislation aimed at “strengthening law and order and national security” should not be seen in “isolation”
The Lok Sabha on Monday passed Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, by voice vote. It seeks to repeal The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, and allow the collection, storage, and analysis of physical and biological samples, including the retina and iris scans of the convicted, arrested, and detained persons.

Responding to the debate on the proposed law, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said its sole objective was to improve the conviction rate in the country, protect the human rights of crores of law-abiding citizens and send a strong message to society. It had not been brought for any misuse, he said.
“Those citing the human rights of criminals should also think about the human rights of victims. There are two angles on human rights, I am more worried about human rights of those who are innocent and victims, they should be a priority,” Shah said taking on Opposition members who questioned the Modi government on the “draconian” law “violating human rights and right to privacy” and “database being misused”.

“We cannot further delay making the country secure,” Shah said.

Several Opposition members had asked the government to send the bill to a standing committee for wider consultation while raising concerns over the “right to privacy” and the database being misused.
A holistic approach to the bill:
Stating that the Bill should not be seen in isolation but as part of a holistic approach, Mr. Shah said the Central government had set up several forensic science universities to strengthen the criminal justice system, as next-gen crimes could not be investigated using old techniques. A Modus Operandi Bureau in the Ministry of Home Affairs had been set up to study crime trends and advise the State police. Consultations were also underway to amend the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. About 99% of the police stations in the country had been linked to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems.