Amid a walkout by the Opposition, the Gujarat Assembly passed a controversial anti-terror bill by a majority vote on Tuesday.
Rejected on three earlier occasions by two Presidents (President Kalam in 2004 and President Pratibha Patil in 2008) for violating basic principles of justice, the bill is a re-worked version of the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Bill (GUJCOC), 2003.
The bill similar to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was therefore passed for the fourth time in past 12 years.
The bill gets rejected due to the provisions that are susceptible to misuse by investigating agencies.
This PM Modi’s pet law while retaining the earlier provisions, will gives too much power to the police to use torture to extract confessions and encourage them to make indiscriminate use of snooping and submit them in court as evidence and extending the period of investigation from the specified 90 days to 180 days before a charge sheet has to be filed.
Social activists like Medha Patkar said it has “dangerous implications”. “It is a very dangerous situation for the rights of people,” she said.
Human rights activists criticize the bill saying it will lead to custodial torture and it has provision of jail term of five years and maximum punishment of death penalty, along with fine ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
However, Gujarat junior Home Minister Rajni Patel justifies it by saying that the bill is necessary to control not only terrorism but also organized crime.