Some salient features of NCTC
Source: The Sangai Express / B Raman

New Delhi, March 20 2012: * The NCTC is proposed to be given executive powers of follow-up action on its own on the basis of its assessment and informing the State Police thereafter.

At present, the MAC alerts the State Police and suggests arrest of a suspect by them.

In future, the NCTC can arrest a suspect on its own, hand him over to the police and direct it to start an investigation.

* This is apparently meant to deal with contingencies where the State Police drag their feet in making an arrest� for example a BJP Government in respect of a suspected Hindu terrorist or some other Government in respect of a Muslim terrorist.

The MAC is at present without powers to deal with such instances.

The NCTC can, in future, arrest the suspect without alerting the police, take his house search, hand him over to the police and then direct it to start an investigation.

* This is a power with serious implications for misuse, with the NCTC, taking its orders from the Intelligence Bureau, arresting a person in a State without keeping the Police in the picture and then confronting the Police with a fait accompli.

* In other countries, the NCTCs or their equivalent came into being as part of a detailed National Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was formulated after extensive political consultations and debate in the Parliament.

In India, 41 years after terrorism made its appearance and over three years after the 26/11 terrorist strikes in Mumbai, we still do not have a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy drawn up in consultation with the political parties and States.

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