Pota review may take 6 months: Inamdar

PUNE: A three-member committee is expected to submit a report on the alleged misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) to the Union home ministry within six months.
This was revealed to TNN recently by former state director-general of police Arvind Inamdar, who is part of the newly-constituted committee. Headed by former chief justice of Punjab and Haryana, Arun Sahariya, the committee also includes former chief secretary of Jammu & Kashmir, M.U.Rehman. The Centre has already provided the committee with an office and other infrastructure, Inamdar said.
The committee was formed in view of widespread allegations of the anti-terrorism legislation being used for political vendetta and other purposes. The issue has repeatedly been raised in Parliament right from the inception of the legislation.
The decision to form the committee was taken during a top level meeting attended by the Prime Minister and deputy prime minister L.K. Advani The members were informed on April 11. Inamdar said that the committee will review and suggest amendments to Pota if required.
The committee will base its recommendations regarding possible amendments, based on a comparative study of the earlier legislations like the Maharashtra Organised Criminal Control Act (MOCCA) and Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (preventive ) Act (Tada). Incidentally, both these acts had come in for similar flak.
Some of the states, including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, have strongly opposed Pota. It may be recalled that an editor was also booked under the provisions of Pota.
It was said that the misuse of the Act was encouraged by some leaders of the ruling party to settle old scores.
Meanwhile, Inamdar believes the Act is a potent weapon in the hands of security forces. He will be travelling across the land to discuss the issue with the a large number of people. “It will give me a clear and true picture of the issue in a much wider perspective,� he concluded.
Earlier Inamdar has been the chief consultant to the Uttar Pradesh governor for the forthcoming elections of the state assembly.