Criminal Procedure Bill passed in Lok Sabha
The contentious bill providing for legal sanction to police to obtain physical and biological samples of convicts and detainees for investigation in criminal matters was passed by Lok Sabha on Monday, with Home Minister Amit Shah asserting it will act as a defender of human rights of law-abiding citizens.
He also sought to allay the concerns voiced by MPs about invasion of privacy, insisting all data collected under the proposed law will be protected.
The bill, which seeks to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, was passed by a voice vote after Shah assuaged the concerns raised by the Opposition, which claimed the draft law was “draconian” and could convert India into a “police state”.
Responding to the Opposition charge, Shah, citing a provision in the bill, said people arrested for an offence, except for those committed against women and children, or for which the punishment is not less than seven years in jail, may not be obliged to allow collection of their biological samples.
Hitting back at the Opposition for alleging misuse of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Shah said UAPA is not for any particular caste or religion, but “your (Opposition) advocacy is only for one caste-religion”.