Bihar Assembly Passed the “Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021”
The Bihar Assembly passed the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021 amid protests by the Opposition inside and outside the House. The Bill was passed by the Legislative Council, even as the Opposition boycotted the proceedings, demanding an apology from CM.
Key-Points of the Bill
- The aims to develop the Bihar Military Police into a well-trained and fully equipped armed police force with multi-domain expertise to cater to the development needs and the larger interest of the state.
- The mandate of the bill is to maintain public order, combat extremism. Further, the bill ensures better protection and security of specific establishments.
- For this, the Bill proposes setting up a Special Armed Police force. The Special Armed Police will have one or more battalions depending on the requirement for any specified period.
- The command, supervision, and administration of the Special Armed Police shall vest in the Director-General of Police, Bihar. However, the general superintendence of the Special Police shall be exercised by the Government.
Powers of the Special Armed Police force:
The State Armed Police Forces of India are the police units established for dealing with serious law and order situations requiring a higher level of armed expertise than normal. The State Armed Police Forces exist in addition to the ordinary police services of the various states. They contains some special Powers which are-
- Power to arrest without a warrant: They will have the power to arrest people even without a warrant. This power will be available to any of the Special Armed Police’s officers.
- Arrests on suspicion: They have the power to arrest people on the basis of mere suspicion. This includes suspicion like disrupting state government functions or attempting to conceal their presence with the aim to commit a crime or cognizable offence.
- Search without Warrant: They have the power to conduct a search of a suspect’s premises without obtaining a warrant from a magistrate. The only safeguard is that the search can be conducted by an officer of a notified rank or above.
- Immunity from Courts: The bill also grants immunity to the officers of the Special Armed Police. It bars courts from taking cognizance of any complaint against the Special Armed Police. The court can take action only when the state government has sanctioned action against the concerned officers.
