Civil Aviation mulls new anti-hijack laws

The Praful Patel-led Civil Aviation Ministry is mulling the amending of India's current laws against hijacking. The UPA government is likely to make the anti-hijacking law much tougher by including death sentence as a punishment, and also inserting a clause that entitles the government o shoot down a hijacked plane.
The Cabinet is expected to consider the proposal moved by Civil Aviation Ministry to amend Anti-Hijacking Act of 1982 to make it more stringent to deter hijackers from using an aircraft as a missile.
Sources said the Cabinet will consider amending Section 4 of the 1982 Act, which provides for life imprisonment and a fine for hijacking, to include death penalty also.
The amendments being mulled include shooting down an aircraft whose hijack has been established, Shooting down an aircraft when hijackers have intentions to target vital installations, and Immobilisation of the aircraft and disallowing it to take off if the hijack takes place on Indian soil.
19/03/10 Times Now

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2010, Safety Mar 2010