Gujarat state assembly okays anti-terror law; Congress stages walkout

GANDHINAGAR: The state assembly on Tuesday passed the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime ( GCTOC) Bill, 2015, amid a walkout by the opposition Congress, a version of the earlier controversial bill that had not received Presidential nod and seeks to provide more powers to the state police.

If the bill gets presidential ascent and becomes law, it will empower the state police to keep anyone behind the bars for 180 days without filing charge sheet, admit “interception of wire, electronic or oral communications” as evidence in special courts, and most significantly shift the onus of proving innocence on the accused.

The bill was passed on the last day of the current session. The state government had passed a similar bill back in 2004 that was fashioned on the lines of stringent MCOCA of Maharashtra.

However, the bill failed to get the presidential ascent despite at least three attempts by the Gujarat government since then.

Undaunted, the state government rechristened the bill, juxtaposing terrorism with organised crime and retaining the controversial provisions on interceptions of the electronic communications. “It is also noticed that the organised criminal syndicates make extensive use of wire and oral communications in their criminal activities,” says the bill.