Chandigarh: Haryana Police recorded 23,154 successful fingerprint matches through the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) between January 1 and October 31, 2026, strengthening the use of scientific evidence in criminal investigations.
During the same period, the police uploaded 72,172 fingerprints belonging to arrested accused persons, convicts and unidentified individuals to the national database. The technology also helped identify 25 unidentified bodies, providing investigators with important identification leads.
Director General of Police Ajay Singhal, a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, said scientific evidence and technology were increasingly becoming central to criminal investigations. He noted that NAFIS and the Measurement Collection Unit (MCU) were helping police establish the identities and criminal antecedents of accused persons and connect cases reported in different locations.
23,154 Fingerprint Matches Recorded in 10 Months
The fingerprint records uploaded by Haryana Police are being used to compare available prints against the national database and identify individuals whose fingerprints have previously been recorded.
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The exercise has helped investigators uncover previous criminal records and examine possible links between incidents reported in different districts and states.
Key figures from January 1 to October 31, 2026:
- 72,172 fingerprints: Uploaded to the NAFIS database.
- 23,154 matches: Successful fingerprint matches recorded.
- 25 unidentified bodies: Identified with the assistance of fingerprint matching.
- 3,415 chance prints: Recovered from crime scenes, verified and uploaded to the system.
- 94 chance-print matches: Successfully matched with existing fingerprint records.
The figures indicate the use of fingerprint analysis not only for identifying arrested individuals but also for examining evidence recovered during criminal investigations.
94 Crime-Scene Fingerprints Matched With Existing Records
Haryana Police also used NAFIS to examine chance prints recovered from crime scenes. Chance prints are fingerprints unintentionally left behind on surfaces or objects and subsequently collected by forensic teams during investigations.
Of the 3,415 chance prints verified and uploaded during the reporting period, 94 were successfully matched with existing fingerprint records.
These matches provided investigative leads in cases involving murder, robbery, theft and other offences. Such comparisons can help investigators identify individuals whose fingerprints are already present in police records and examine their possible connection with a particular crime.
MCU Creates Digital Identification Records of 48,281 Accused
Alongside NAFIS, Haryana Police is using the Measurement Collection Unit (MCU) to maintain digital identification records of accused persons.
The system has created records for 48,281 accused individuals. These digital profiles contain:
- Biographical information.
- Physical identification particulars.
- Photographs.
- Video records.
The information can be used by investigating officers for identification and verification during investigations.
The two systems serve complementary purposes: NAFIS facilitates fingerprint-based identification, while MCU helps maintain digitised biographical and physical identification records.
Haryana Police Establishes 100 NAFIS and MCU Workstations
To strengthen access to these technological facilities, Haryana Police has established 69 NAFIS workstations and 31 MCU workstations across districts, subdivisions and specialised units.
Breakdown of the infrastructure:
- NAFIS: 69
- MCU: 31
- Total: 100
DGP Ajay Singhal has directed officers to ensure that these systems are used effectively and that fingerprint and biometric records are updated regularly.
He said technology-driven investigations could improve the accuracy and efficiency of crime detection, assist in tracing inter-state criminal networks and reduce the possibility of innocent persons facing unnecessary harassment.
What Is NAFIS?
The National Automated Fingerprint Identification System is a national-level fingerprint database implemented by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It provides authorised law-enforcement agencies access to a searchable repository of criminal fingerprint records, allowing fingerprints collected during investigations to be compared against existing records.
The system integrates the fingerprint identification systems of States and Union Territories, facilitating identification across jurisdictional boundaries.
NAFIS can assist investigators in:
- Identifying individuals through fingerprint records.
- Matching chance prints recovered from crime scenes.
- Establishing links between separate criminal investigations.
- Identifying unidentified bodies through available fingerprint records.
- Checking the criminal antecedents of individuals whose fingerprints match existing records.
Haryana Police’s latest figures highlight the growing role of fingerprint analysis and digital identification systems in its investigation processes.
