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India to tighten anti-terror laws | India to tighten anti-terror laws |
(about 7 hours later) | |
The lower house of the Indian parliament has approved two new anti-terror bills following last month's attacks in the city of Mumbai (Bombay). | |
One of them proposes setting up a National Investigation Agency with sweeping powers of investigation. | One of them proposes setting up a National Investigation Agency with sweeping powers of investigation. |
The second strengthens existing anti-terror laws to allow suspects to be detained without bail for up to six months on the orders of a judge. | |
Correspondents say the bill is likely to pass in the upper house as well. | |
It will be put to the vote on Friday. | |
The opposition BJP supported the bills in Wednesday's votes but said that the provisions in the legislation should have been stronger. | |
Phone taps | Phone taps |
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that India's government has been under intense pressure following the Mumbai (Bombay) attacks to reform the country's intelligence and security systems. | |
The new bills introduced in parliament are seen as a first step in its response. | The new bills introduced in parliament are seen as a first step in its response. |
The National Investigation Agency would have wide-ranging powers to investigate terror cases across the country. | The National Investigation Agency would have wide-ranging powers to investigate terror cases across the country. |
However, demands that the security forces be allowed to tap phone and internet lines without court orders have been rejected. | However, demands that the security forces be allowed to tap phone and internet lines without court orders have been rejected. |
And confessions by suspects before police officers cannot be used as evidence in court. | And confessions by suspects before police officers cannot be used as evidence in court. |
India's home minister, P Chidambaram, said the bill balances the ability of the security agencies to prosecute with the need to protect individual freedom and human rights. | India's home minister, P Chidambaram, said the bill balances the ability of the security agencies to prosecute with the need to protect individual freedom and human rights. |
The Congress-led government scrapped a previous anti-terror law following criticism that it was misused and targeted the Muslim community. | The Congress-led government scrapped a previous anti-terror law following criticism that it was misused and targeted the Muslim community. |
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