Boost To Law Enforcement Agencies: Government Launches Sex Offenders Registry With 4.4 Lakh Names

India became the ninth country in the world to launch a sex offender’s list with 4.4 lakh names, The Hindu has reported. The minister also launched the cyber-crime reporting portal during the same event. Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju were also present at the event.

National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO), will be accessible only to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of “investigation and monitoring”. The proposal for a NDSO was initiated during the tenure of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after the Nirbhaya gang rape case.

Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi raised concerns over rapes at child shelters. “In Muzaffarpur in Bihar, the head of a shelter home allegedly sexually assaulted several children, but he was not arrested immediately. There was a tunnel from the shelter home to his residence. That means the crimes must have taken place in his residence. I appeal to all DGPs to keep a close eye on all shelter homes,” he said.

The database will include offenders convicted under charges of rape, gang rape, POCSO and eve teasing. The NDSO contains name, address, photograph and fingerprint details for each sex offender. However, the privacy of individuals will not be compromised by the database.