The Gujarat Assembly, on Tuesday, passed the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill 2015, a re-adopted version of the controversial 2003 Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Bill (GUJCOCA), which had not received the presidential nod.
The Bill aims to make special provisions for prevention and control of terrorist acts and for coping with criminal activities by organised crime syndicates.
However, while the Bill has been renamed, it still contains some of the contentious provisions that had led to its rejection by the Presidents in the past. For example, the Bill notes, “the evidence collected through the interception of wire, electronic or oral communication under provisions of any other law shall be admissable as evidence against the accused in the Court during the trial of the case.”
The State government said the legislation was aimed at tackling terrorist activities and organised crime. However, the Opposition Congress staged a walk out opposing the new Bill, saying its provisions were contradictory to the national criminal law.
(Sarkarimirror Bureau)
Image Courtesy: parliamentfiles.com
