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Mahesh

14/11/23 10:03 AM IST

How GPS anklets work

In News
  • Recently, a prisoner in Jammu and Kashmir was released on bail after he was tagged with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device to monitor his movements.
  • This is the first time in the country that a GPS tracker has been put to such use.
GPS Tracker
  • A GPS tracker is a small, wearable device like the GPS collars that have long been used to monitor the movements of animals.
  • The device provides the exact location of the wearer at all times, and allows law enforcement and security agencies to monitor his/ her movement in real time.
  • The device is tamper-proof, and any attempt at tampering with it sets off an alarm.
  • It can also not be removed by the wearer or any unauthorised person without damaging it.
  • The tracker can be put on the ankle or arm of a person. Thus, there are GPS anklets and GPS bracelets.
Cost of GPS Device
  • GPS devices are very common these days, and some people put them on pets.
  • The movements of wild animals such as rogue elephants in Kerala or the cheetahs in Kuno are monitored using these devices.
  • Many new automobiles are equipped with trackers to ensure they can be traced if stolen; owners can also have them installed separately.
  • The quality and prices of the devices vary. It is possible to buy one online for around Rs 1,000.
Why it was affixed ?
  • The prosecution wing of the J&K Police called for close monitoring of Bhat’s movements during the period of his bail, and pushed for his tracking by GPS as one of the bail conditions.
  • Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain, who also heads the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the intelligence wing of the J&K Police, said GPS trackers could “help curb narco-smuggling and terror activities”.
  • Police would be able “to monitor whether the person who is out on bail is meeting an active terrorist, or someone to collect a narco assignment or terror funds, etc".
GPS Tracker around the world
  • GPS trackers are a precondition for bail in several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia.
  • Bhat’s case is the first time this technology has been used in India for this purpose.
  • J&K Police have indicated they might do it in the future as well.
  • In the UK, electronic monitoring may be under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011.
  • In Malaysia, the legal frameworks on electronic monitoring have been developed by amending existing legislation and enacting new laws such as Prevention of Crime Act, 1959, Security Offences Act, 2012, Dangerous Drugs (Special Prevention Measures) Act, and the Criminal Procedure Code.”
  • Backers of the use of GPS trackers argue they can make it a little easier to get bail under the stringent UAPA, and give police the confidence to not oppose bail.
Source- Indian Express

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