KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly has passed a bill for e-tagging habitual criminals to monitor their movement as street crimes rise in the province.

The Sindh Habitual Offenders Monitoring Bill 2022, unanimously passed by the assembly on Friday, will allow authorities to attach an electronic device in the form of an anklet or bracelet to the body of criminals or suspected criminals at large or out on bail/parole.

Ghanwer Ali Khan Isran, a member of the ruling PPP, moved the report of the standing committee on the bill introduced last year.

“It is expedient to check the menace of street crimes and ensure safer cities and neighbourhoods, especially in the urban areas of the province and ensure effective monitoring of habitual offenders by using the modern technology,” the bill’s statement of objective read.

Devices with GPS to be affixed after magistrate’s order

The anklet device or bracelet would contain a central processing unit with GPS and cellular technology for active, real-time and continuous monitoring of offenders around the clock.

The device would be affixed through a magistrate’s order after application from a prosecutor or police officer for a period similar to the accused person’s bail.

According to the law, any habitual offender who failed to comply with the terms and conditions of e-tagging would be liable to imprisonment of up to three years.

“Any habitual offender who tempers with or destroys the electronic monitoring device shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years but not less than one year and a fine of one million.”

The offender will also have to pay for any damage to the monitoring device.

According to the bill, habitual offenders would be any person found involved or arrested more than once for offences including vehicle theft/snatching, extortion, robbery, attempt to murder, robbery, robbery and any offence under the Narcotics Act.

A database for such offenders shall be maintained by the senior superintendent of police of the respective district and a centralised database shall also be maintained at the provincial level to be known as Sindh Habitual Offender Registry.

Faced with an alarming rise in street crimes, the provincial cabinet, in July 2022, decided to fix electronic devices to the body of habitual offenders to monitor their movements. The home department then presented the draft legislation stating that the move was necessary for effective monitoring of criminals, checking the menace of street crimes and ensuring safer cities.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023