Why in news?
Aurangabad police recently detained a city corporator under MPD Act, 1981 of Maharashtra.
What is the MPD Act?
- It is Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug Offenders and Dangerous Persons Act (MPDA), 1981.
- The Act empowers the district magistrate and the commissioner of police to exercise its provisions.
- They can decide in their view if a person is acting in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
- Either of these two authorities can pass an order under the Act directing that such a person be detained.
- In the first instance, an order passed under MPDA cannot exceed three months.
- The person against whom the order is issued could challenge the detention before a higher court.
- If the court is satisfied with his/her plea, the order can be revoked or set aside.
How did the Act come about?
- The mafia in Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai, was making much of its earnings from bootlegging (illegal sale or transport of alcoholic liquor).
- During this period (1980s and 1990s) slumlords too were dominant in Mumbai.
- The MDP Act was mainly intended at handling these groups.
- Today, the police use the law mainly during a build-up to a protest or threat to law and order.
- People who could cause any harm, danger or alarm or a feeling of insecurity among the general public could be detained.
- The state government is looking at a proposal to bring human traffickers under the realm of MPDA.
- This is to deal effectively with the issue of missing girls.
What is the current case?
- A city corporator is an elected member of a municipal corporation.
- Sayyed Mateen Rashid of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a corporator was detained under MPDA act.
- The Aurangabad Commissioner cited offences like arson, rioting, inciting mob for breach of communal harmony, creating alarm in society as the reasons.
- In the past, he had reportedly opposed singing of the national anthem in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation.
- Recently, he had reportedly opposed a resolution to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- And so, some BJP corporators allegedly beat him up and filed a complaint under the IPC.
- He was accused of promoting enmity between members of communities.
- He was granted bail in the IPC case but was shortly served the Commissioner’s notice under MPDA.
Source: Indian Express