UPCOCA will ‘break backbone of the mafia’
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act (UPCOCA), which was approved by the state cabinet as a bill on Wednesday, will after coming into force give enough ammunition to the state administration to break the backbone of the criminal-politician-contractors-officers’ syndicate allegedly involved in running hawala racket, money laundering, illegal mining and selling spurious drugs and liquor, said an official.
It will also put brakes on the activities of gangster-turned-politicians who are running their criminal gang by grabbing government contracts. “Once arrested under UPCOCA, not only their contract will be cancelled but the administration will also withdraw the security provided to them,” added the official.
The likes of Mukhtar Ansari, Brijesh Singh and Atiq Ahmed, accused in heinous crimes, are behind bar yet they move with gunners and grab the contract floated by various government with ease. “Once they are arre sted under UPCOCA, the police will not only confiscate their
IT WILL ALSO PUT BRAKES ON THE ACTIVITIES OF GANGSTER TURNEDPOLITICIANS WHO ARE RUNNING THEIR GANG BY GRABBING GOVT CONTRACTS
property but also withdraw gunners and ensure that their gangs do not grab contracts as well,” said the official. Also, under the Act, the police will provide security to the witness and not reveal their names in the court as well. Instead of organising identification parade the police will get the accused identified through videos and photos.
Those aiding the gangsters will be also held as culprit under the Act.The opposition parties have expressed concern over the misuse of UPCOCA. Giving rest to apprehensions, principal secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar said enough provisions have been made to check the misuse of the Act. An organised crime control authority will work under the chairmanship of principal secretary, Home at the state level while the district authorities will function under the chairmanship of DMs. “Only after the approval of the appropriate authority the Act will be slapped on the culprits. It will be imposed on history-sheeters and against whom the police have filed charge-sheet in the organised crime case,” said Kumar. The minimum punishment under the UPCOCA will be 7 years imprisonment and the maximum punishment will be death sentence.
“Usually when a criminal is arrested then during the hearing of the case in the court the police presents evidence for suitable punishment. When a criminal will be arrested under UPCOCA, then he will have to prove in the court that he was not guilty,” said the official.“These days, notorious criminals run their crime machine from the jail. The provisions of UPCOCA states that those arrested under the Act will be lodged in the high security area of the jail. Only after the permission of the DM their relatives or associates will be able to meet them and only after the approval of the medical board, the accused will be granted permission to stay in the hospital for more than 36 hours,” said the official.