Take positive steps towards organized police reform

The Government of India has introduced a bill in the Parliament to bring modernity in the investigation of criminal cases. The bill aims to introduce reforms to the earlier rules in criminal investigation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has introduced the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 in the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend Sections 53 and 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The Bill allows the police to refer to Section 53 as “fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, photographs, iris and retinal scans, physical, biological samples and their analysis, behavioral characteristics including signatures, handwriting or any other examination”.

According to the existing rules, the police had the right to take fingerprints and footprints of a limited category of criminals and convicts while taking photographs had to be ordered by the magistrate. As per the provisions of the Bill, under any preventive detention law. Any person convicted, arrested or detained under the Act shall be required to provide all “measurements” i.e. finger prints, palm prints, footprints, photographs, iris and retina scans, etc., to a police officer or prison officer. Most of the law codes in India date back to the British period. Since then, there has been a lot of change in the methods of crime and the attitude of the criminals.

In India, the police have to do the work of investigating crimes along with law and order. In such a situation, the biggest problem with the police of India is that of ‘professionalism’. But after this reform, there will be a lot of change in the methods of investigation going on the same pattern. Till now the police of India was taught to use excessive technology but now they will also be allowed to use it at their discretion. The demand for police reforms in India has been raised from time to time. Recently, when students were lathi-charged in Prayagraj, there was talk of police reforms. Lack of police force is also a major reason for the negative behavior and irritated attitude of the policemen.