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Anti-hijacking law gets Centre nod

Last Updated 19 March 2010, 16:57 IST

“Two sections of the Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982—Section 3 and 4—will be amended to include death or life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for hijackers besides the monetary fines,” Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said after a meeting of the Cabinet that approves death penalty.

With enhanced terror threats, a group of ministers headed by Home Minister P Chidambaram had cleared the “tougher” proposals paving the way for the Civil Aviation Ministry to move the amendments for Cabinet approval.
The government’s anti-hijacking policy was being reviewed in the wake of of the Kandahar episode of 1999 in which an Indian Airline plane was hijacked.
The NDA government had to release four dreaded terrorists to secure the release of passengers.

Soni said even though UPA-I wanted to introduce the capital punishment, some of the allies were against it. In UPA-II, a new Group of Minister with Chidambaram, Verappa Moily, Kapil Sibal and Praful Patel was set up to reexamine the provision.
The government may table the amendments in the second half of the budget session when the House meets on April 12.

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(Published 19 March 2010, 16:57 IST)

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