Jagan orders extension of detention period in the wake of capital shifting

Hyderabad: In order to maintain law and order situation in check during the proposed shifting of Capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, the State Government has extended the detention powers, for another three months, under National Security Act, 1980.

The Chief Secretary Neelam Sawhney has instructed the district collectors, magistrates, and Police Commissioners, across the State, to exercise the powers of detention, for a further period of three months, up to April 15. By quoting the reference of the letter written by the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence, A.P., Vijayawada, on 31 December, 2019, the Chief Secretary has delegated the powers to all the Collectors & District Magistrates and the Commissioners of Police, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, to exercise the powers conferred under sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the said Act.

The Chief Secretary has mentioned that the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence, has requested that the period of detention powers under subsection (3) of Section 3 may be extended for a further period of three months beyond January 15. Keeping the circumstances and conditions prevailing and are likely to prevail within the local limits of the jurisdiction of all the Collectors and District Magistrates and the Commissioners of Police in the State, the State Government has decided to extend the period of detention powers, by all the Collectors & District Magistrates in the State and the Commissioners of Police, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, according to the Chief Secretary.

Predicting the possibility of unruly behaviour of masses, as instigated by few sections and mobs, during the said period of three months, the District Collectors and Magistrates, and Commissioners of Police of Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam can detain those persons, within the local limits of their respective jurisdictions, for a further period of three months, as per the instructions of the Chief Secretary.

It may be recalled that the High Court, has chided the Police and State Government, in the last couple of weeks, related to the petitions filed by individuals and also on suo moto, over the ongoing agitations in the Amaravati Capital region villages.

However, the Government has substantiated its stand by stating that both sections 144 and 30, have been in vogue, since 2014, after the formation of new State-Andhra Pradesh. In order to arrest the further rift between judiciary, police and administration, the State Government wants to exercise detention powers, for a further period of three months.