LS passes Bill for capital punishment

NEW DELHI, Dec 17: A Bill providing capital punishment to those using special category explosives like RDX, PETN and HMX with an intent t...

NEW DELHI, Dec 17: A Bill providing capital punishment to those using special category explosives like RDX, PETN and HMX with an intent to endanger life or property was passed by Lok Sabha today. The Explosive Substances (Amendments) Bill, 1998, was adopted by a voice vote.

However, the House rejected all the amendments. Home Minister L K Advani said, after consulting scientists and Defence Ministry officials, the Government was of the view that including uranium 235 and plutonium in the special category explosives was not necessary. R R Pramanik of CPI-M had moved the amendments.

He said explosives like RDX (research development explosive), PETN (Penta erythritol tetra nitrate), HMX (high-melting explosive), remote control devices and some others were being sent into India by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.

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Justifying capital punishment for terrorists dealing with special category explosives, the Home Minister said it was necessary in India as a large number of innocent lives were being lostand properties destroyed on a regular basis.

Besides, Advani said there had been several scientific developments in the field of explosives ever since the original act of 1908. He said after discussions with the chief ministers and top police officials, it was concluded that these special category explosives were only meant for misuse.

However, the amendment met with apprehensions from some Opposition members who also demanded safeguards against misuse of the provisions.

While Moti Lal Vora (Cong) supported the move saying stringent action should be taken against those who indulged in terrorism, Chaman Lal Gupta (BJP) said Pakistan has been sending trained people armed with RDX and hoped the law would now help curb militancy.

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Pramanik opposed the Bill saying terrorism should be dealt with politically and not through death penalty and law could be “misused” for political purposes. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) expressed fears about death penalty for causing an explosion and said there should be aprovision to ensure that innocents were not punished.

Supporting the amendment, M A K Swain (BJP) disagreed that all terrorists were political activists and should be dealt with politically. DMK’s C Kuppusamy also warned the government that there should be no misuse of the provisions of capital punishment and suggested that safeguards should be provided in the Legislation.

K S Rao (Cong) supported death penalty but also warned against its misuse. He sought creation of special courts to try cases under this law. Mohan Rawale (Shiv Sena) was also for the Bill and wanted to know what was being done to bring Dawood Ibrahim, wanted in connection with the Mumbai serial blasts, to India.