The Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill has got assent by President Ramnath Kovind. The announcement was made by Minister of State for Home, Gujarat, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, who said the new law would give more teeth to the police and the investigating agencies.
According to Jadeja, the law was necessary for the safety and security of Gujarat that has a coastline of 1,600 kilometer. He also said that the law would be applicable in case of any future terror incident.
Under the new law telephonic interceptions and confessions before the police officers are admissible.
The bill was passed by the BJP-ruled state in 2015 and was earlier called Gujarat Control of Organized Crime Bill. However, it is at the fourth attempt that the bill has got an assent.
Former presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had rejected the bill, objecting to the clause of telephonic interception as evidence.
The Gujarat Assembly passed the bill as per suggestions given by the then President Kalam but later Patil rejected it and suggested amendments. One of the amendments suggested by her was to do away with the provision that allowed confession before police officer admissible in the court.
Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil held that the bill is against the laws at the Centre as it has not incorporated the changes suggested by the then Presidents.
Gohil said that if terrorism could be controlled by laws, why it could not be controlled when POTA was in force.
Gujarat witnessed terror attack on Akshardham Temple, less than a kilometer away from the chief minister's residence, in 2002.
There had been several alleged fake encounters in the state and the investigating officers had held that the those eliminated in the encounters had come to kill the then chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi.
