Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday directed that fingerprints of all arrested individuals must be mandatorily recorded under the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), emphasizing its critical role in modernising India’s law enforcement capabilities.

During a review meeting with Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on the implementation of three new criminal laws in the Union Territory, Shah underscored the urgent need to adopt digital tools such as e-Summons, e-Sakshya, Nyaya Shruti, and forensic integration for a more efficient justice system.

Shah called for a structured review mechanism, instructing that:

• Chief Secretaries and DGPs should conduct weekly evaluations,
• The Home Minister should assess progress every fortnight,
• The Lieutenant Governor should review implementation monthly.

Reaffirming the government's push for technological adoption, Shah said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) must build a robust, data-driven ecosystem to benefit investigators and judicial stakeholders. He directed regular interactions with state and UT police heads to speed up projects like CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) and the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS 2.0).

He also suggested using biometric tools to identify unclaimed bodies, and called for alerts to be sent at each stage of a case—from FIR registration to final disposal—to streamline case management and oversight.

Highlighting the importance of linguistic accessibility, Shah directed that FIRs in Puducherry be registered in Tamil, with translations provided as needed.

The Home Minister reiterated that only the Director of Prosecution should be authorized to provide legal advice in criminal cases, to ensure clarity and accountability in legal proceedings.

Shah concluded by instructing that teams from the Ministry of Home Affairs and NCRB visit states and UTs to assist in implementing these digital systems and enhance adoption.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, NCRB, and NIC attended the high-level meeting, which marks a critical step toward streamlining India’s criminal justice processes using advanced technology.