SC seeks Centre’s response on pleas challenging validity of amendments to UAPA

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments made to the UAPA.

The petitions challenges the changes to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on various grounds, including that these infringed upon fundamental rights of citizens and empowered agencies to declare persons a terrorist.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Ashok Bhushan issued notices to the central government on petitions filed by Sajal Awasthi and an NGO, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR).

Recently, the Parliament had passed the amendments in the UAPA which empowers government agencies to declare a person as terrorist.