Guest column: 'Register' the legal lacunae more urgently
India has now become the ninth country to introduce a 'sex offender registry' after the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and Trinidad & Tobago. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) now maintains a database containing names, addresses, fingerprints, DNA samples and Aadhaar numbers of persons convicted of sexual offences. It's not yet clear how the NCRB plans to update information on offenders and whether the information will remain available only to law enforcement agencies. Considering the registry has been pitched as a public safety measure and the substantial costs of maintaining it, besides its possible impact on former offenders, it's pertinent to examine the potential value of such a register.
At first glance, a registry that helps law enforcement keep track of offenders, particularly those convicted of
