Criminal procedure bill will ensure police remain two steps ahead of criminals: Shah

While replying to a discussion on the bill, Shah said it will ensure that police and investigators remain two steps ahead of criminals as opposition members raised human rights concerns. The bill will act as a defender of human rights of crores of law-abiding citizens, he said.

New Delhi: The Union Government's decision of bringing the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill is to strengthen internal security and law and order in the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha on Monday. As for the concerns raised by the Opposition over human and personal rights issues regarding the Bill, Shah said that those have already been addressed in the draft legislation.

"Our intention is to strengthen the internal security and law and order of the country," said Shah and added, "If we do not bring about the required changes in the law, we will lag behind in providing courts with the evidence to prove a crime, conviction rate will not increase and in a way, help would not be provided in investigations."

The Bill, which seeks to provide legal sanction to police to collect physical and biological samples of convicts and persons accused of crimes, was moved by Shah for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha. Shah said that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preparing a model prison manual that it will be sent to states adding that it will address a lot of concerns over the Bill.

"A lot of the concerns will be addressed with the prison manual. It has various provisions relating to subjects such as rehabilitation of prisoners, making them part of the mainstream again, limiting the rights of jail officials, maintaining discipline, security of jails, separate jails for women and open jails," the Home Minister said. He also urged the MPs not to see the Bill in isolation but in consonance with the upcoming prison manual.

Pointing out that the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill will replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, Shah said that the latter has become irrelevant from several perspectives such as proving crime in courts, strengthening law enforcement agencies, prevailing situation and science. He also said that Bill will not only resolve the problems faced under the current law but will also strengthen evidence gathering.

Shah also said that till the powers to prove crimes in court are not enhanced, it will be virtually impossible to maintain law and order and bolster internal security in the country. He also said that the change in the law has been long overdue adding that in 1980 the Law Commission recommended reviewing the current law. As for the concerns raised by the Opposition over the Bill, Shah said that they were raised from a human and personal right point of view adding that they were legitimate but are already addressed in the Bill.

Later while replying to a discussion on the bill, Shah said it will ensure that police and investigators remain two steps ahead of criminals as opposition members raised human rights concerns. The bill will act as a defender of human rights of crores of law-abiding citizens, he said. Referring to concerns of some Opposition members over the misuse of data collected under the proposed law, Shah said the world is using database and "we too will have to use it", moving ahead with time. "The database has been in use for two-and-a-half years to solve crimes, including automobile thefts," he said.

Shah said data will be stored in protected hardware and those "who send samples (for matching) will be sent results and data will not be shared". He said the bill has been brought in to ensure that police and investigators remain two steps ahead of criminals. 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".

(With agency inputs)