Gujarat Assembly passed the new version of Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act (GUJCOC), the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Bill, on Tuesday, the last day of the Budget Session, amid a walkout by Congress MlAs. GUJCOC was passed in Gujarat Assembly twice when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister and was rejected by two different Presidents, APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil. The provisions in GCTOC are almost similar to that of GUJCOC.
During the long debate in the Assembly, the Opposition Congress demanded removal of controversial sections like empowering police to tap telephonic conversations and submit them in court as evidence. The Opposition also wanted removal of provisions that make confessions before police admissible in court and extend the period of probe from the stipulated 90 days to 180 days before the filing of chargesheet. The Bill was introduced in the House by Minister of State for Home Rajnikant Patel.
Patel said that the provisions were in the interest of the nation and refused to accept Congress MlA Shaktisinh Gohil’s demand. The Congress abstained from voting on the legislation and walked out of the House. GCTOC Bill would become a law if approved by President Pranab Mukherjee. GUJCOC was passed for the first time in 2004, when Modi was the Chief Minister. But the Bill was rejected by then President Kalam who objected to the clause that allowed interception of phone calls as admissible evidence. Again in the year 2008, the State Government dropped this clause and sent a revised Bill to President Patil. She too rejected it objecting to the clause that allowed confessional statements before police officials as evidence in a court of law.