Amit Shah addresses Lok Sabha on Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 ; says 'we discussed it with other states'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Lok Sabha on Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 today, reported ANI.

While addressing the Lok Sabha on the bill he said, 'This bill will replace the Identification of Prisoners Act of 1920, in terms of time and science. After we formed our government, we discussed this with other states. It should be compared with the Model Prison Manual.

Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 allows police to collect "finger-impressions, palm-print impressions, footprint impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis, behavioural attributes, including signatures, handwriting or any other examination" referred to in section 53 or section 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

As per the provisions of the Bill, any person convicted, arrested or detained under any preventive detention law will be required to provide "measurements" to a police officer or a prison official.

Last week, opposition members Manish Tewari, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Saugata Roy and N K Premachandran forced a vote on the introduction of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill. The opposition move was defeated as 120 members voted in favour of the introduction of the bill, while 58 members were against it.

Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra 'Teni' introduced the bill, dismissing the apprehensions voiced by the members and asserted that the move was required to make provisions for the use of modern techniques to capture and record appropriate body measurements.

(with inputs from PTI)