NAFIS

NAFIS (National Automated Fingerprint Identification System)

NAFIS (National Automated Fingerprint Identification System) is an automated web-based fingerprint identification application provided by the National Crime Records Bureau, New Delhi. Through this system, a National Database of criminal fingerprints is being created by digitizing, storing, and comparing fingerprints of criminals across all states and Union Territories in India. NAFIS was inaugurated by the Honorable Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah on August 17-18, 2022, during the National Security Strategy Conference (NSSC) held in New Delhi.

Phase I

In the first phase of this project, NAFIS workstations have been established in all State Fingerprint Bureaus, District/Railway Headquarters, and Commissioner’s Offices. According to the provisions of the CrPC (Identification) Act, 2022, police and jail authorities can prepare fingerprint slips for all arrested and convicted individuals for the purpose of identification and investigation of criminal cases. Using the fingerprint enrollment devices provided under this project, fingerprints can be uploaded to the system. Currently, the NAFIS database size is approximately 10 million fingerprints. Across the country, many old unsolved cases have identified criminals through chance print matching using NAFIS. The integration of NAFIS with CCTNS and ICJS is currently underway. Additionally, prisoner fingerprint data has been migrated to the National Database, further strengthening the system.

Phase II

In the second phase of the project, NAFIS workstations will be established at police stations and courts, and a mobile application will be made available to field officers, allowing them to conduct on-the-spot searches of suspects' fingerprints (Bio-Search).

Project Objectives

  • To enable incidental print searches from districts/police commissionerates/fingerprint units using a national database.
  • To provide fast, online, digital search capabilities for real-time results.
  • To create a searchable national database of criminals' fingerprints and palm prints.
  • To reduce delays in investigations caused by the physical transfer of documents for manual verification.
  • To enable national-level searches from all NAFIS workstations installed nationwide.
  • To bring all states/Union Territories onto a single platform for using fingerprints/palm prints in detecting criminals, solving crimes, and mapping criminal history.
  • To enhance sentencing procedures by presenting prior criminal records of offenders in courts.

NAFIS System Achievements in Madhya Pradesh

Under this project, 83 workstations have been established in the state for recording fingerprints and criminal records of offenders, enabling searches at district, state, and national levels. Currently, NAFIS serves as a reliable tool in Madhya Pradesh for criminal detection and personal identification, with a database of approximately 1.4 million fingerprints. This system has successfully aided in obtaining scientific evidence in identifying unknown deceased persons and solving serious crimes such as murder.

Current Status and Successes of NAFIS in Madhya Pradesh

As part of Phase I of the NAFIS project, Madhya Pradesh has established a total of 83 workstations across the state, including 52 District Fingerprint Units, 3 GRP (Government Railway Police) Fingerprint Units, 11 Zonal Fingerprint Units, 5 MCU (Measurement Collection Units), and 6 workstations at the headquarters level.

  • In 2022, NAFIS successfully traced 130 chance prints in 103 cases, including 89 property-related cases, 13 murder cases (7 of which involved unidentified bodies), and 1 complaint case. Success was achieved in 12 interstate cases, 46 inter-district cases, and 45 local cases using NAFIS in 2022.
  • In 2023, NAFIS traced 357 chance prints in 261 cases, including 239 property-related cases, 21 murder cases (6 with unidentified bodies), and 1 abduction and rape case. That year, success was achieved in 46 interstate, 84 inter-district, and 131 local cases.
  • In the last 9 months (from January 2024 to September 2024), 324 chance prints were traced in 223 cases, including 201 property-related cases, 21 murder and unidentified deceased cases (3 with unidentified bodies), and 1 abduction case. Up to September 24, 2024, success was achieved in 35 interstate cases using NAFIS.
  • Since November 2021, a total of 587 cases have successfully identified suspects through NAFIS. Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to identify unknown bodies using NAFIS, a case from the Seoni district receiving the second prize in the "Smart Use of Fingerprint Science" category at the Fingerprint Director’s Conference.
  • Fingerprint data from NAFIS is also used for passport, character, and arms license verifications in Madhya Pradesh. The State Election Commission praised NAFIS for its swift and accurate results in the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections.