Bring Telangana act on crime in Delhi: LG Saxena

NEW DELHI: To effectively control organised crimes such as snatching, land grabbing, online and gaming offences and white-collar financial frauds, lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has proposed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to extend Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986 to the national capital.

Delhi Police, which reports to the ministry via the LG, sought the extension this June, citing “a need for stringent legislation for prevention and effective control” of criminal activities such as bootlegging, land grabbing, snatching, robbery, arms running, sale of drugs, gambling and sexual offences, particularly by repeat offenders.

The Act, officials said, has proved to be an “effective legislation”, which provides for preventive detention of desperate criminals and members of the organised syndicates whose criminal activities adversely affect, or are likely to affect, maintenance of public order. Preventive detention empowers police to imprison a person merely on the apprehension that the accused may commit a crime in future.

Sources said the LG had “approved and forwarded” Delhi Police’s proposal to the MHA for issuance of a notification under Section 2 of the Union Territories (Laws) Act, 1950 for extending the Telangana Act in Delhi. “The MHA will take the final decision,” said an official. Section 2 of the Union Territories (Laws) Act prescribes that the Centre may, by issuing a notification, extend any law in force in some other states, with any restrictions and modifications, to Delhi.

According to officials, the proposal, if approved, provides that the LG may issue an order to detain a person if he is satisfied with the Delhi Police’s view that it is necessary to prevent a crime or maintain public order. “To prevent any misuse, there is a provision for an advisory board in the Act, which will ratify detentions and their extension. All detentions under the Act will be subject to ratification by the advisory board,” an official pointed out.

The period of such detentions in the first instance shall not exceed three months and the maximum duration can be 12 months. In every case, the government shall have to place the case before the advisory board within three weeks of a detention. The board, which will be constituted by the government, shall consist of members who have been judges or are qualified to be appointed as judges of a high court.

Sources said several states, such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, had such laws in force.