New Delhi: A bill which seeks to provide for stringent punishment, including death penalty or life imprisonment to those involved in piracy at sea, was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday.
Shashi Tharoor (Cong) opposed The Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill at the introduction stage saying, the provision of automatic death penalty was against the law.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, however, refuted the charge. He said it is factually incorrect to say that the bill proposes automatic death penalty.
The proposed law, is aimed at promoting the safety and security of India's maritime trade including the safety of its crew members, the bill states.
India does not have a separate domestic legislation on piracy. According to the statement of objects of the bill, the provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to armed robbery and the Admiralty jurisdiction of certain courts were invoked to prosecute pirates apprehended by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard so far.
"But in the absence of any specific law relating to the offence of maritime piracy in India, problems are being faced in ensuring effective prosecution of the pirates," it said.
According to Section 3 of the bill, "whoever commits any act of piracy, shall be punished (i) with imprisonment for life; or (ii) with death, if such person in committing the act of piracy causes death or an attempt thereof."
The proposed law is part of the commitment made by India while signing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982. The UNCLOS was ratified by India in 1995.
On Thursday, 18 Indians aboard a Hong Kong-flagged vessel were kidnapped by pirates near the Nigerian coast. The Indian mission in Nigeria had subsequently approached the African nation's authorities for help to ascertain the details and rescue the abducted Indians.
According to ARX Maritime, the Hong Kong-flagged vessel was attacked by pirates on December 3 evening while transiting through Nigerian waters. There were 19 people on board the vessel.
The Indian Navy, which plays a crucial role in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia coast, has committed 53 naval ships to patrol in the region. The then Naval chief Vice-Admiral Sunil Lanba had said the Navy has escorted 3,000 merchant ships during their patrols.
(With inputs from PTI)
