Areas not covered by other laws to be part of MAPISA: Top cop

Amid a row over the proposed Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security Act (MAPISA), Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar today said some areas which are not covered by the existing laws, will be brought under the purview of the new legislation.
"There are so many issues which probably require regulation or legislation...And that is being worked out. Some areas, which are not covered by other laws, will be covered under this (MAPISA). But it's still at a very early stage," he told reporters during an interaction here.
The Maharashtra government has proposed to bring in MAPISA to deal with the challenges of terrorism and communal and caste violence. The legislation would be the first such state-level act for internal security, which will give more power to the police department, if implemented.

Among other things, it proposes 'special security zones' where movement of arms, explosives and inflow of unaccounted funds will be prohibited.
However, after severe battering from ally Shiv Sena and the Opposition over proposed law, the BJP-led government has removed the controversial draft of the Act from the public domain (which was put up for suggestions and objections) and decided to form all-party committee to discuss the issue first.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the draft will be put in public domain once again, but only after an all-party consensus on the issue.

Meanwhile, talking about the security arrangements in the city in view of the upcoming Ganesh festival, Padsalgikar said, "Regular internal alert is there...There is nothing specific. But it's an important festival, which lasts for 10 days and there is large gathering of people, so naturally we have to be extra cautious."

"Wherever I went, all the mandals have volunteered in making their members participate in the security exercise," he added.
Replying to a query over pending extradition process of some gangsters, the city top cop said, "To bring back Kumar Pillai (wanted gangster), efforts were on for about four to six months. It is governed by the law of country where the person is residing. I am governed by our laws and whatever we have in terms of extradition arrangement."
Pillai, with several cases against him in Mumbai, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion etc, was taken into custody in Singapore after a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued against him by Interpol and was extradited to Mumbai in June this year.