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After Sedition Law, Punjab Police May Have PCOCA As Tool At Its Disposal

November 4, 2017 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Chandigarh: As per the media reports on the pretext of recent target killings in Punjab, the state police will soon be empowered with “stringent” law called Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA),  which facilitates conviction on the basis of statements made before a senior officer.

State Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has  assured the police that the PCOCA legislation may be moved within this month. He reportedly said  this at a meeting on law and order with officials of the police and Home Department here last evening.

Furthermore, the CM has asked the police administration to have a team of choice officers and any kind of infrastructure but they must perform at the earliest to solve the recent killings and prevent such incidents.

The state government on the pretext of recent killings in Amritsar and Ludhiana is trying hard to push for PCOCA, the CM  asked the police officers about their requirements to check the series of killings. They said the officers sought better technical devices to check internet phone calls or use of other technical means by criminals and pro-freedom groups, media sources said.

The state government was long contemplating about PCOCA act, but it was only the recent killing of pro-hindutva leaders that gave the state government an excuse to get this act converted into a law. It is widely believed that PCOCA like sedition might be used to subvert dissent and harass activists involved in pro-freedom activities rather then using other more effective legislation to tackle organised crime. As the basic characteristic of PCOCA is that it bypasses standard judicial procedure.

On the other hand the CM has maintained that it was important  to instill the “fear” of the law among the gangsters to check their attempts to create lawlessness and trouble in the state. The proposed legislation would ensure that the police are not obstructed in dealing with such gangsters with an iron hand, Amarinder Singh said while interacting with the media.

State government’s spokesman while talking with The Tribune (TT) said that the CM’s instructions came after DGP Suresh Arora raised the issue of more powers to the police to tackle the supposed organised crime and gangsters in the state. The police needed to be empowered to effectively deal with criminal gangs, for which legislation such as PCOCA was required to be introduced on an urgent basis, he reportedly claimed in the meeting.

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Related Topics: Capt. Amarinder Singh, PCOCA: Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (Controversial Proposed Law), Punjab Government, Punjab Police, Punjab Politics, Suresh Arora

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