The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Council adopts amendment Bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 03, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Council adopts amendment Bill

Staff Reporter

Congress MLC objects to clause pertaining to `plea bargaining' in Bill

BANGALORE: The Legislative Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted the Code of Criminal Procedure (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2005.

Welcoming the Bill, the Leader of the Opposition, D.H. Shankaramurthy, and M.P. Nadagouda and Basavaraja Bommai of the Janata Dal (United) suggested to the Government that such important Bills should be taken up in the House in the early days of the session and not at the fag end as the members need to study them.

Referring to some aspects of the proposed amendment to Section 167 (procedure if investigation is not completed in 24 hours), Mr. Shankaramurthy and "Mukhyamantri" Chandru of the BJP and Mr. Bommai asked the Government to clarify how the proposed Bill will protect politicians involved in "political agitations" and booked for minor offences, from undue harassment at the hands of the police. Referring to the clause pertaining to "plea bargaining" in the Bill, V.S. Ugrappa (Congress) said it may lead to corruption.

Analysing some aspects of the Bill, the lawyer-member felt that it should be reviewed as the question of accountability holds the key to the issue.

Thanking the Opposition members for having approved the Bill, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, H.K. Patil, said he did not expect objections from his own party member.

To this, Mr. Ugrappa said that being a practising advocate and a former teacher of law, it will be unethical on his part to mislead the House despite knowing the loopholes in the Bill.

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