Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday
directed the state government to file an affidavit stating why
the provisions of the stringent MCOCA are not applied in cases
involving contract killing.
"Cases involving contract killing are on the rise. If
organised syndicates are not involved in such cases, where do
these middle-class youth (contract killers) get weapons like
pistols and revolvers?" asked the division bench of justices B
H Marlapalle and UD Salvi.
The court was hearing a petition filed by former
journalist Ketan Tirodkar, contending that the provisions of
Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which was enacted
specially to curb organised crime, should be applied in every
case involving contract killing.
The petition cites the example of the murder of
Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and the fake encounter
killing of Ramnarayan Gupta, alleged aide of gangster Chhota
Rajan.
Tirodkar pointed out that both the cases involved
contract killing. The court has sought state's reply in three
weeks.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 01, 2011, 23:07