Govt rules out POTA-like law

The Centre today ruled out a POTA-like law as demanded by opposition BJP, with Shivraj Patil asserting that relevant portions of the repealed Act had been incorporated in the existing anti-terror measures.

The Centre on Saturday ruled out a POTA-like law as demanded by opposition BJP, with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil asserting that relevant portions of the repealed Act had been incorporated in the existing anti-terror measures.

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"We have laws, which have provisions to deal with terrorism. They should be used properly," Patil said despite persistent demands by the saffron party for a tough anti-terror law like POTA and a suggestion by the second Administrative Reforms Commission to have a new and comprehensive law to tackle terror.

The home minister said this while inaugurating the two-day annual conference of police DGs and IGs in New Delhi.

Patil said when POTA was repealed, some relevant chapters in it were transferred into the Unlawful Activities Prevention Law "lock, stock and barrel".

The chapters have provisions useful to control terrorist activities, free flow of funds to terrorist groups and relating to the admissibility of certain kinds of evidence collected with the help of electronic equipment, the home minister said.

He said there were provisions in POTA which went against the basic principles of criminal jurisprudence relating to the onus of proof and admissibility of the confessions, not made according to the principles adopted in the Criminal Procedure Code.

"It is not possible to have a law like POTA on the statute book. The relevant provisions in POTA, needed to control terrorism, have been introduced and retained in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act," he added.