New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill by voice vote on Monday. The bill replaces the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
While presenting the bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it would ensure that police and investigators remain two steps ahead of criminals, news agency PTI reported.
Amit Shah’s statement came in the backdrop of apprehensions over the bill by the Opposition regarding human rights and privacy issues.
Responding to a discussion on the bill, Shah said that the Opposition members raising human rights concerns must also think about the human rights of those targeted by the criminals.
"The bill will act as a defender of human rights of crores of law-abiding citizens," Shah said.
During his address, Shah also shed light on the usage of data, saying that the world was using databases and "we too will have to use it", moving ahead with time.
He also cited the prior usage of the database in solving crimes, saying that it was in use for two-and-a-half years to solve crimes, including automobile thefts.
Clarifing doubts regarding data privacy, Shah said that data would be stored in protected hardware and those "who send samples (for matching) will be sent results and data will not be shared".
He asserted that there should be no apprehension and next-generation crimes cannot be tackled with old techniques.
"We have to try to take the criminal justice system to the next era," Shah was quoted as saying by PTI.
Asserting that the BJP does not indulge in vote-bank politics, he said the Prevention of Terrorism Act was a law in the national interest and was repealed for the sake of "appeasement".
However, Opposition members termed the provisions of the bill "draconian" and demanded that it be referred to a Parliamentary standing committee, PTI reported.