Gandhinagar: Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC) Act would be implemented in the state from December 1, Minister of State for Home, Pradipsinh Jadeja today informed.

The act had got president’s assent on November 5.

Talking to newsmen Jadeja said that the act would put a check on the terror elements and also give more teeth to police against other organized crimes like contract killing and kidnappings for ransom and ponzi schemes. It would also help in better check of cross border narco terror. According to the provisions of the act more expert legal officers and public prosecutors would be appointed who could prosecute the culprits in special courts under the act.

Notably, president Ramnath Kovind had given his assent to the GujCTOC bill which was earlier rejected and returned by three of his predecessors.

This bill drafted on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, was first passed by the Gujarat assembly in 2003 when Narendra Modi was CM of the state.

‘This law is necessary for the security and safety of Gujarat which has a coastline of 1600 km and to safeguard its prosperity from terror elements. The law would be applied in case of future terror incidents. It will give more teeth to the police and investigating agency and also give legitimacy to the confessions. The witnesses will also get better protection due to it,’ Jadeja said.

He said that the bill first passed during the regime of Modi as CM could get assent of the president due to continuous persuasion by incumbent CM Vijay Rupani. Gujarat government welcomes this development.

The state government had brought the bill over concerns regarding the organized criminal syndicates operating in the states whose activities may perpetuate in macro-terrorism. So far only Maharashtra had such a strict law against terrorism.

The bill was earlier rejected and returned for reconsideration by the then Presidents Pranab Mukherjee in 2016, Pratibha Patil in 2008 and 2009 and APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004. The bill was updated and sent to the president’s office again for approval.

DeshGujarat

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