Barabanki tops UP in uploading fingerprintsof ‘criminals’, Gkp 2nd

Lucknow: The Barabanki police secured the top position in UP under the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), aimed at streamlining criminal identification through biometric data. Gorakhpur and Shahjahanpur came second and third respectively.
The review also highlighted poor performance by Agra commissionerate, followed by Kanpur Nagar commissionerate and Etah. NAFIS, developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), was launched in July 2022. Under this system, fingerprints of arrested and convicted individuals are uploaded to a central database, enabling swift and accurate identification of criminals. Each person arrested is assigned a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number, which helps create a comprehensive digital record of their criminal history.
Senior officials were directed to personally intervene and address local challenges in low-performing districts. They were also asked to ensure 100% data feeding and to regularly monitor the activities of NAFIS nodal officers. Strengthening NAFIS implementation is seen as vital for crime prevention and investigation across the state.
Since the implementation of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, and the operationalisation of NAFIS on July 1, 2022, fingerprint units in all districts have been uploading data to the central server. Over 4.5 lakh fingerprint records were fed into NAFIS so far, forming a critical database for tracking repeat offenders and aiding criminal investigations, said a senior police officer.
In an official communication addressed to police commissioners of Agra, Kanpur Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Noida, as well as SSPs/SPs of Etah, Barabanki, Gorakhpur, Shahjahanpur, Bulandshahr, Lalitpur, Bhadohi, and Mainpuri, the headquarters noted that certain districts have shown "commendable interest" in NAFIS while others have demonstrated "extremely slow progress".
Officers of underperforming districts were directed to ensure 100% compliance in fingerprint uploads.
Between Nov 2024 and Feb 2025, districts like Barabanki, Gorakhpur, and Shahjahanpur emerged as top performers in uploading fingerprint data to NAFIS, consistently recording 100% compliance.
The Agra Commissionerate, which had the lowest compliance, uploaded just 6–12% of fingerprints. Kanpur Nagar followed with around 33% compliance, while Etah averaged 58%. Additionally, Lalitpur, Bhadohi, and Mainpuri recorded the lowest cumulative uploads.