Delhi L-G okays Telangana preventive detention law to curb crimes in national capital

VK Saxena has proposed to the Union Home Ministry to implement the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, in the city.
Image used for representational purpose.(Express Illustration)
Image used for representational purpose.(Express Illustration)

NEW DELHI: In order to curb growing organised crime, street crime, sexual, and white-collar financial offences, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has proposed to the Union Home Ministry to implement the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, in the city. According to officials, Saxena approved and forwarded this proposal to the central ministry for the issuance of a notification to implement the Telangana law, which will allow police to take offenders charged with such crimes into preventive custody.

According to officials, the move has come after a request from the Delhi Police, which urged Saxena in June to issue a notification for the act, citing “a need for stringent legislation for prevention and
effective control” of criminal activities. “This act will apply to the prevention of bootlegging, drug trafficking, land grabs, food adulteration, offenders producing fake documents, snatching, robbery, arms, sexual offences, and white collar or financial offences,” a senior official from the L-G secretariat said.

The legislation will empower the city government and the police to make preventive detentions of criminals and members of organised syndicates whose criminal activities adversely affect or are likely to affect the maintenance of public order. “With a view to preventing a person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order, it is necessary to make an order directing that such a person be detained,” officials said. If approved by the MHA, the Lt Governor will have the authority to order detention of a person “from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order”. The MHA will take a decision in this regard, officials said.

According to the act, the period of the first instance of detention should not exceed 3 months, and the maximum detention period a person can be put under should not go beyond 12 months. However, to prevent any misuse of the act, an advisory board will be set up whose consent will be required before ordering detentions and their extensions. The advisory board will consist of former judges
or those “qualified to be appointed as judges of a High Court,” officials said.

“All detentions under the act, will be subject to ratification by the advisory board, and in the event of the advisory board not ratifying any detention, the person will be released,” the act noted. “In every case where a detention order has been made under this Act, the government shall, within 3 weeks from the date of detention of a person, place the matter before an advisory board constituted by the government for this purpose,” it added.

Telangana law

  • It is an act to provide for preventive detention of boot-leggers, dacoits, drug offenders, goondas, immoral traffic offenders and land-grabbers for preventing their dangerous activities prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
  • It is claimed to empower the city government and the police to make preventive detentions of criminals and members of organised syndicates whose criminal activities adversely affect or are likely to affect the maintenance of public order.
  • The period of the first instance of detention should not exceed 3 months, and the maximum detention period a person can be put under should not go beyond 12 months
  • To prevent any misuse of the act, an advisory board will be set up whose consent will be required before ordering detentions and their extensions

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