UP report most arrests under UAPA, J&K ranks second

Ground Report | New Delhi: Total arrests under UAPA in India; Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of arrests in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Jammu and Kashmir rank second.

In a written reply to a question given in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that in the year 2020, 361 people have been arrested under UAPA in UP, 346 in Jammu and Kashmir, and 225 in Manipur has been arrested under this law.

ALSO READ: No information about the displacement of tribals: Govt in Lok Sabha

Total arrests under UAPA in India

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply that as per the National Crime Records Bureau report, "the number of persons arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the year 2019 and 2020 is 1,948 and 1,321 respectively."

In another reply, Mr. Rai said 7,243 persons were arrested under UAPA since 2016, and 212 persons were convicted during the same period. It said that 286 cases were acquitted, 25 cases were quashed and 42 cases were acquitted by the courts.

Citing the data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), only 3% have been found guilty so far, said the Union Minister of State for Home, who said that the number of arrests under this Act has been reduced in the year 2020 as compared to the year 2020. In the year 2019, where 1948 arrests were made across the country under the UAPA, in the year 2020 this number was 1321.

ALSO READ: 58,000 manual scavengers in India, 97% Dalit

Responding to another question, he said that since 2016 till date, a total of 7243 people have been arrested under UAPA, out of which only 212 have been convicted. 286 people were acquitted because no charges were found while 42 cases were released to the courts because no changes were found.

What is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act?

• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an anti-terrorism law aimed at effective prevention of associations of unlawful activities in India. Its main objective is to provide powers to deal with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.

• It was passed in 1967 under the Congress government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Later, amendments were brought under the UPA governments in 2004, 2008 and 2013.

• In August 2019, the President approved the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019.

• The amended Act included a provision to designate a person as a terrorist. Prior to this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organisations.

• The amendment empowered the Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to attach properties acquired from terrorism proceeds. Earlier, the law required that the NIA should take prior permission from the police chief of the state concerned for attaching terrorism proceeds.

• Also, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) has been added to the Second Schedule through amendments.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp. For suggestions and writeups mail us at [email protected]