The Hindu : Front Page : Reforms panel for strong law to fight terrorism

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Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008
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Reforms panel for strong law to fight terrorism

Special Correspondent

Moily for safeguards against abuse

Centre ‘not soft’ on terror
Panel for cell to track terror funds

NEW DELHI: The Second Administrative Reforms Commission on Tuesday favoured enactment of a comprehensive and effective legal framework to deal with all aspects of terror and a federal agency to investigate terrorist offences.

Report released

Releasing the eighth report of the Commission on “Combating Terrorism,” its chairman and senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily said that dealing with terrorism would require a multi-pronged, comprehensive strategy in which different stakeholders – the government, political parties, security agencies, civil society and media – would have an important role to play.

Favouring a separate, comprehensive law to deal with terrorism, Mr. Moily said though after the repeal of POTA a number of provisions had been incorporated in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the legal provisions to deal with terrorism could be incorporated in a separate chapter in the National Security Act, 1980.

Responding to queries, Mr. Moily said a strong anti-terror law with equally strong safeguards to prevent its misuse was needed.

While denying that the UPA government was “soft on terror,” Mr. Moily said “situations are dynamic and keep on evolving.”

Mr. Moily’s views and the recommendations of the Commission are at variance with those of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil who has held that existing laws were good enough to deal with terrorism.

Mr. Moily said his observations were limited to the recommendations of the Commission.

To choke funds of terrorists, the report recommended that a specialised cell be created in the proposed National Counter-terrorism Centre for taking concerted action on the financial leads gathered by various sources.

The report favoured video recording of statements made as confessions before the police.

For this, the report said, necessary amendments in the Indian Evidence Act should be made.

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