1. Short title, application, commencement, duration and savings.-
(1) This Act may be called the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) Every person shall be liable to punishment under this Act for every act or omission contrary to the
provisions thereof, of which he is held guilty in India.
(4) Any person who commits an offence beyond India which is punishable under this Act shall be dealt
with according to the provisions of this Act in the same manner as if such act had been committed in
India.
(5) The provisions of this Act apply also to—
(a) citizens of India outside India;
(b) persons in the service of the Government, wherever they may be; and
(c) persons on ships and aircrafts, registered in India, wherever they may be.
(6) Save as otherwise provided in respect of entries at serial numbers 24 and 25 of the Schedule to
this Act, it shall be deemed to have come into force on the 24th day of October, 2001 and shall remain
in force for a period of three years from the date of its commencement, but its expiry under the
operation of this sub-section shall not affect—
(a) the previous operation of, or anything duly done or suffered under this Act, or
(b) any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred under this Act, or
(c) any penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred in respect of any offence under this Act, or
(d) any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation,
liability, penalty, forfeiture or punishment as aforesaid,
and, any such investigation, legal proceeding or remedy may be instituted, continued or enforced and
any such penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be imposed as if this Act had not expired.
2. Definitions.-
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) "Code" means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974);
(b) "Designated Authority" shall mean such officer of the Central Government not below the rank of
Joint Secretary to the Government, or such officer of the State Government not below the rank of
Secretary to the Government, as the case may be, as may be specified by the Central Government or,
as the case may be, the State Government, by a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(c) "proceeds of terrorism" shall mean all kinds of properties which have been derived or obtained from
commission of any terrorist act or have been acquired through funds traceable to a terrorist act, and
shall include cash irrespective of person in whose name such proceeds are standing or in whose
possession they are found;
(d) "property" means property and assets of every description, whether corporeal or incorporeal,
movable or immovable, tangible or intangible and deeds and instruments evidencing title to, or interest
in, such property or assets and includes bank account;
(e) "Public Prosecutor" means a Public Prosecutor or an Additional Public Prosecutor or a Special
Public Prosecutor appointed under section 28 and includes any person acting under the directions of
the Public Prosecutor;
(f) "Special Court" means a Special Court constituted under section 23;
(g) "terrorist act" has the meaning assigned to it in sub-section (1) of section 3, and the expression
"terrorist" shall be construed accordingly;
(h) "State Government", in relation to a Union territory, means the Administrator thereof;
(i) words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Code shall have the
meanings respectively assigned to them in the Code.
(2) Any reference in this Act to any enactment or any provision thereof shall, in relation to an area in
which such enactment or such provision is not in force, be construed as a reference to the
corresponding law or the relevant provision of the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.