The Parliament of India has passed The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 which allows police officers to collect certain identifiable information (fingerprints and footprints) of persons including convicts and arrested persons.
The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 28, 2022. The Bill seeks to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920 allows police officers to collect certain identifiable information (fingerprints and footprints) of persons including convicts and arrested persons. Also, a Magistrate may order measurements or photographs of a person to be taken to aid the investigation of an offence. In case of acquittal or discharge of the person, all material must be destroyed.
There have been advances in technology that allow other measurements to be used for criminal investigations. The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 (pending in Lok Sabha) provides a framework for using DNA technology for this purpose. In 1980, the Law Commission of India, while examining the 1920 Act, had noted the need to revise it to bring it in line with modern trends in criminal investigation. In March 2003, the Expert Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System (Chair: Dr. Justice V. S. Malimath) recommended amending the 1920 Act to empower the Magistrate to authorise the collection of data such as blood samples for DNA, hair, saliva, and semen.
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