Criminal Identification Bill: Dal Khalsa calls for protests, says Centre will use law to snoop on citizens

On the face of it, the Bill proposes to empower police and prison authorities to take “measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters”. The term “measurements” includes finger-impressions, palm-print impressions, foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, and even biological samples.

Khara said the proposed law will violate the right to privacy and the right against self-incrimination of convicts and others.

The Dal Khalsa leader further said the Bill, ironically, places the privacy of individuals, who are not convicted of any offence, at the mercy of the state.

Demanding the proposed law to be struck down, he said the provision that implies the use of force to take measurements violates the rights of the prisoners laid down by Supreme Court judgments.

Highlighting the agitation led by farmers at Delhi’s borders by farmers forcing the Centre to repeale the three farm laws, Khara said that in future, participation of masses in any such protest will provide the government and its agencies an opportunity to invoke the proposed law. He also said that analysis of biological samples under this Bill, could lead to narco-analysis and brain mapping.

Khara pointed out that the Bill violated the fundamental rights of citizens and did not comply with Article 20 (3) of the Constitution, which explicitly states that no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.