Decoded: What criminal data Bill, passed by Parliament, is all about

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill was strongly criticised by Opposition parliamentarians as anti-people and draconian

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, two days after the Lok Sabha cleared it. The Bill, which empowers investigating officers to collect biometric, physical and biological samples of those who have been convicted, arrested or held in preventive detention, was strongly criticised by Opposition parliamentarians as anti-people and draconian. The government, however, maintains it has been brought in with the sole intention of increasing convictions and protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens. Here is what this Bill, now cleared by Parliament, is all about.

Why was the new Bill brought in and what are its