A bill to provide capital punishment to all offenders including hijackers, conspirators and abductors whose actions result in the deaths of hostages and security personnel was introduced in the Rajya Sabha today. The Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2014 was introduced by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju. It seeks to give effect to the Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft. The bill also provides for confiscation of movable and immovable property of the offenders besides widening the provisions relating to the jurisdiction and extradition.

Our Correspondent reports that the bill was necessitated in view of world-wide increased attempts to hijack aircraft and threats by the outlawed groups. Comprehensive amendments to the existing Act were also necessitated by the Beijing Protocol, 2010, to which India is a signatory. The Protocol has brought new offences enlarging the scope of hijacking, expanding the jurisdiction and strengthening extradition and mutual assistance. The present law also had insufficient penalties to deal with the new facets of the crime.