Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government tabled and passed the controversial Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime Bill in the state Assembly on Tuesday. It was the last day of the ongoing budget session. The Congress legislature party abstained from voting on certain clauses of the bill.
This bill aims to empower the law enforcing authorities to intercept phone calls, recording of which will be admissible in the court as evidence.It says that the interception of such communication to obtain evidence is inevitable and an indispensable aid for the law enforcement.
The Bill aims to empower the law enforcing authorities to intercept and record phone calls as evidence and gives them other contentious powers. As per the bill, recording will be admissible in the court as evidence. The bill also puts the onus of proving the innocence of an accused.
Justifying the provision, the ‘Statement of Objects and Reasons’ in the bill states that it is necessary in the contemporary day where organised criminal syndicates make extensive use of wire and oral communication.
The GUJCOC bill, which is on the lines of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was rejected in 2004 and 2008 by the then President AJP Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil respectively who had suggested some amendments in the provisions related to telephone interception and confession made before police officer being considered as evidence in court.
After its passage for the third time in the state assembly, the bill is still pending for clearance from the President. Human right activists have also strongly condemned the bill.
Gujarat government to table ‘Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime Bill’ in state Assembly today
In the new draft, tabled today, the government has retained the provision related to confession made before a police officer. It is proposed that the officer should be of Superintendent of Police (SP) rank or above.
Renamed as Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime ( GCTOC) Bill 2015, came up for discussion on the last day of the ongoing budget session on March 31.
