Union Cabinet Approves Death Penalty for Hijacking
Union Cabinet Approves Death Penalty for Hijacking
The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of a more comprehensive and complete Anti-Hijacking Bill 2014 on December 2nd, 2014. This Bill provides for stringent punishment including death penalty for hijackers in the event of death of a hostage or that of a security personnel.
Features of the Bill
The bill provides imprisonment for life in the event of committing the grave offence of hijacking. Immoveable properties of such persons are also liable for confiscation. This Bill will be introduced in the winter session of the Parliament in 2014.
The Cabinet also decided to repeal the Anti-Hijacking Act 1982 amended in 1994 and withdrew the Anti-Hijacking Amendment Bill 2010. The decision was also made during the Union Cabinet meet chaired by the PM Narendra Modi.
Ratification of the Beijing Protocol 2010
The Union Cabinet also provided approval for the Ratification of the Beijing Protocol 2010. India is a signatory to the Beijing Protocol that was signed at the international diplomatic Conference held at Beijing during August-September, 2010.
This Protocol released new principal offences combined with ancillary offences, enlarged the concept and scope of hijacking, jurisdiction and also boosted extradition and mutual assistance regimes.
The need for amendment and change in anti hijacking laws became imperative following terror attacks where airplanes were used as weapons of destruction by suicide bombers. Indian Air Lines Flight 1C-814 was hijacked on 24th December 1999 and take over by 5 Pakistani hijackers.
The hijack standoff continued for several days ended after an agreement was reached between the Union Government and the terrorists.As per the agreement, India exchanged three jailed militants (Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Mushtaq Zargar) for the release of passengers.
The Anti-Hijacking Amendment Bill, was brought after incidents like the hijack of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 and the September 11, 2001 terror strikes in the United States.
In view of increased threats, the draft bill proposes to amend the Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982, and increase its scope by including death penalty for the offence of hijacking which at present provides for imprisonment for life and fine.
The proposed law would also give more power to concerned security agencies or security forces to immobilise an aircraft or prevent its take-off and also allow the IAF to scramble its fighters to intercept a hijacked aircraft and force it to land. A hostile plane could even be shot down if there is evidence that it could be used as a missile to hit a vital installation.
Anyone who in concert with others or alone committed acts like seizure of aircraft or used forms of intimidation would have been deemed of committing the offence of hijacking as per the new propose.
