Govt rules out POTA-like law

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The Centre Saturday ruled out a
Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)-like law as demanded by
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Union Home
Minister Shivraj Patil asserting that relevant portions of the
repealed Act had been incorporated in the existing anti-terror
measures.

"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 (ARC) to have a new and
comprehensive law to tackle terror.

The Home Minister said this while inaugurating the
two-day annual conference of police Director Generals and
Inspector Generals here.

Patil said when POTA was repealed, some relevant chapters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.