Amit Shah pushes wider NAFIS use to strengthen criminal justice reform

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Jun 19, 2026 15:36 IST

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called for active use of technology across the entire chain of investigation, prosecution and conviction, saying the criminal justice system in India is going through a phase of transformation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the All India Fingerprint Conference-2026, organised by the National Crime Records Bureau, Shah said the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) should be used more effectively. He said it should not only help identify criminals, but also be strengthened by adding fingerprints collected from every crime scene.

Shah said, "There are numerous such cases where NAFIS has been of great help in simplifying even the most complex cases. But I still believe that NAFIS is being utilised only 10 per cent of the time." He added, "The NAFIS should not be used just for finding criminals, it can succeed only when you enrich the NAFIS data through fingerprints obtained from every crime scene." Calling it a two-way system, he said it is very useful in proving the criminal, but a crime can be proven only when data is generated.

Referring to broader changes in the system, Shah said, "When it comes to the criminal justice system, our country is going through a phase of transformation." He said that in earlier times, police stations were largely seen as tools to maintain law and order, with disputes either settled by the station house officer or ending up in courts where cases stayed pending for years. He said the time has come to make the criminal justice system a suitable means for every citizen to secure the rights given by the Constitution.

Shah also stressed the need to train officials to use tools available under the new criminal laws so that only necessary evidence confirming the role of an accused is included in a charge sheet. He said, "Fingerprint match confirmed, telephone records match confirmed, face match confirmed, eye and DNA match confirmed, and then you go before the court with 250 pieces of evidence. So what's the use of technology then?" He added that experienced prosecutors would have to be prepared through practical training.

Summing up his message, Shah said the focus must be on using technology effectively at every stage of the process, from investigation to prosecution and conviction, while also building stronger evidence systems through better use of tools such as NAFIS.

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