The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 has come into effect from 4th August, 2022.
- The new act authorises taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records.
- It provides legal sanction for taking appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements. This include finger-impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis among others.
- The new law authorises police officials to take measurements of people convicted, arrested or facing trial in criminal cases, including their iris and retina scans and even biological samples with exceptions, and store these up to 75 years.
- The act also empowers the National Crime Records Bureau of India to collect, store and preserve the record of measurements and for sharing, dissemination, destruction and disposal of records.
- Under the act, the Police or Prison Officers have been given power to take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements.
