The Union Government on June 19 returned the controversial anti-terror bill passed by the Gujarat Assembly, saying it could not be sent for presidential assent without three key amendments. The Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Bill has been pending with the Centre for over four years. “The cabinet has approved the proposal to recommend to the President that the bill may be returned to Gujarat to make three changes before it can be considered for assent,” Union home minister P. Chidambaram said.
The decision to return the bill has been taken to make it conform to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which was amended by Parliament last year, Chidambaram said. “There are three provisions of the bill which have not been in accordance with the UAP Act as amended by Parliament,” he said. The changes proposed by the Centre include making inadmissible confessions to a police officer, which are admissible under the bill, and allowing courts the power to give bail after hearing the public prosecutor.
The bill has provisions for setting up of special courts, appointment of a special public prosecutor, longer time for presenting the chargesheet, tougher punishment and considering confessional statement made before the police by the accused as proof.
Civil rights activists have welcomed the move. Advocate Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangharsh Manch said: “The draconian provisions of the bill should be repealed. Such provisions should not be allowed to exist in any form.”