Thiruvananthapuram: Even as invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the RSS leader Elanthodath Manoj murder case has kicked up a controversy, police sources said that there was nothing wrong in the decision as the incidents pertaining to the murder came under the purview of section 15 of the Act.
According to the section, any act that affects the security and integrity of a nation or targeting a section of people, that too using weapons and explosive substances, could be considered as an act of terror.
It is learnt that Kannur DIG Dinendra Kashyap had suggested that UAPA could be invoked in the case considering the nature of offence and its repercussions. Senior police officers did not object to it. Incidentally, Mr. Kashyap had recently returned to the state after a long tenure in the CBI. “There was no top-level conspiracies involved in invoking the UAPA. Invoking such stricter Act could also become a deterrent for such heinous political crimes,” a senior police officer told DC.
By invoking the UAPA, the police could also ensure that the accused could not get bail up to 180 days, whereas in other Acts the accused may get bail if the police did not file chargesheet within 90 days.
What UAPA section 15 says
Whoever does any act with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country using bombs, dynamite or other explosive substances or inflammable substances or firearms or other lethal weapons or poisonous or noxious gases or other chemicals or by any other of a hazardous nature or by any other means of whatever nature to cause or likely to cause death or injuries of any person or damage to property commits a terrorist act.
