3. Punishment for terrorist acts.-
(1) Whoever,—
(a) with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or to strike terror in the
people or any section of the people does any act or thing by using bombs, dynamite or other explosive
substances or inflammable substances or firearms or other lethal weapons or poisons or noxious
gases or other chemicals or by any other substances (whether biological or otherwise) of a hazardous
nature or by any other means whatsoever, in such a manner as to cause, or likely to cause, death of,
or injuries to any person or persons or loss of, or damage to, or destruction of, property or disruption of
any supplies or services essential to the life of the community or causes damage or destruction of any
property or equipment used or intended to be used for the defense of India or in connection with any
other purposes of the Government of India, any State Government or any of their agencies, or detains
any person and threatens to kill or injure such person in order to compel the Government or any other
person to do or abstain from doing any act;
(b) is or continues to be a member of an association declared unlawful under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), or voluntarily does an act aiding or promoting in any manner the
objects of such association and in either case is in possession of any unlicensed firearms,
ammunition, explosive or other instrument or substance capable of causing mass destruction and
commits any act resulting in loss of human life or grievous injury to any person or causes significant
damage to any property, commits a terrorist act.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, "a terrorist act" shall include the act of raising
funds intended for the purpose of terrorism.
(2) Whoever commits a terrorist act, shall,—
(a) if such act has resulted in the death of any person, be punishable with death or imprisonment for
life and shall also be liable to fine;
(b) in any other case, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five
years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Whoever conspires or attempts to commit, or advocates, abets, advises or incites or knowingly
facilitates the commission of, a terrorist act or any act preparatory to a terrorist act, shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to
imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.
(4) Whoever voluntarily harbors or conceals, or attempts to harbour or conceal any person knowing
that such person is a terrorist shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less
than three years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine:
Provided that this sub-section shall not apply to any case in which the harbour or concealment is by
the husband or wife of the offender.
(5) Any person who is a member of a terrorist gang or a terrorist organisation, which is involved in
terrorist acts, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to imprisonment for
life or with fine which may extend to rupees ten lakh or with both.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, "terrorist organisation" means an organisation
which is concerned with or involved in terrorism.
(6) Whoever knowingly holds any property derived or obtained from commission of any terrorist act or
has been acquired through the terrorist funds shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to imprisonment for life or with fine which may extend to rupees ten lakh or with both.
(7) Whoever threatens any person who is a witness or any other person in whom such witness may be
interested, with violence, or wrongfully restrains or confines the witness, or any other person in whom
the witness may be interested, or does any other unlawful act with the said intent, shall be punishable
with imprisonment which may extend to three years and fine.
4. Possession of certain unauthorized arms, etc.-
Where any person is in unauthorised possession of any—
(a) arms or ammunition specified in columns (2) and (3) of Category I or Category III (a) of Schedule I
to the Arms Rules, 1962, in a notified area,
(b) bombs, dynamite or hazardous explosive substances or other lethal weapons capable of mass
destruction or biological or chemical substances of warfare in any area, whether notified or not, he
shall be guilty of terrorist act notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in
force, and be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to imprisonment for life or
with fine which may extend to rupees ten lakh or with both.
Explanation.—In this section, "notified area" means such area as the State Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette, specify.
5. Enhanced penalties.-
(1) If any person with intent to aid any terrorist contravenes any provision of, or any rule made under
the Explosives Act, 1884 (4 of 1884), the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 (6 of 1908), the Inflammable
Substances Act, 1952 (20 of 1952) or the Arms Act, 1959 (54 of 1959), he shall, notwithstanding
anything contained in any of the aforesaid Acts or the rules made thereunder, be punishable with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.
(2) For the purposes of this section, any person who attempts to contravene or abets, or does any act
preparatory to the contravention of any provision of any law, rule or order, shall be deemed to have
contravened that provision, and the provisions of sub-section (1) shall, in relation to such person, have
effect subject to the modification that the reference to "imprisonment for life" shall be construed as a
reference to "imprisonment for ten years".
6. Holding of proceeds of terrorism illegal.-
(1) No person shall hold or be in possession of any proceeds of terrorism.
(2) Proceeds of terrorism, whether held by a terrorist or by any other person and whether or not such
person is prosecuted or convicted under this Act, shall be liable to be forfeited to the Central
Government or the State Government, as the case may be, in the manner provided under this
Chapter.
7. Powers of investigating officers and appeal against order of Designated Authority.-
(1) If an officer (not below the rank of Superintendent of Police) investigating an offence committed
under this Act, has reason to believe that any property in relation to which an investigation is being
conducted, represents proceeds of terrorism, he shall, with the prior approval in writing of the Director
General of the Police of the State in which such property is situated, make an order seizing such
property and where it is not practicable to seize such property, make an order of attachment directing
that such property shall not be transferred or otherwise dealt with except with the prior permission of
the officer making such order, or of the Designated Authority before whom the properties seized or
attached are produced and a copy of such order shall be served on the person concerned.
(2) For the removal of doubts, it is hereby provided that where an organisation is declared as a
terrorist organisation under this Act and the investigating officer has reason to believe that any person
has custody of any property which is being used or is intended to be used for the purpose of such
terrorist organisation, he may, by an order in writing, seize or attach such property.
(3) The investigating officer shall duly inform the Designated Authority within forty-eight hours of the
seizure or attachment of such property.
(4) It shall be open to the Designated Authority before whom the seized or attached properties are
produced either to confirm or revoke the order of attachment so issued:
Provided that an opportunity of making a representation by the person whose property is being
attached shall be given.
(5) In the case of immovable property attached by the investigating officer, it shall be deemed to have
been produced before the Designated Authority, when the investigating officer notifies his report and
places it at the disposal of the Designated Authority.
(6) The investigating officer may seize and detain any cash to which this Chapter applies if he has
reasonable grounds for suspecting that—
(a) it is intended to be used for the purposes of terrorism;
(b) it forms the whole or part of the resources of an organisation declared as terrorist organisation
under this Act:
Provided that the cash seized under this sub-section by the investigating officer shall be released not
later than the period of forty-eight hours beginning with the time when it is seized unless the matter
involving the cash is before the Designated Authority and such Authority passes an order allowing its
retention beyond forty-eight hours.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section, "cash" means—
(a) coins and notes in any currency;
(b) postal orders;
(c) traveller’s cheques;
(d) banker’s drafts; and
(e) such other monetary instruments as the Central Government or, as the case may be, the State
Government may specify by an order made in writing.
(7) Any person aggrieved by an order made by the Designated Authority may prefer an appeal to the
Special Court and the Special Court may either confirm the order of attachment of property or seizure
so made or revoke such order and release the property.
8. Forfeiture of proceeds of terrorism.-
Where any property is seized or attached on the ground that it constitutes proceeds of terrorism and
the Special Court is satisfied in this regard under sub-section (7) of section 7, it may order forfeiture of
such property, whether or not the person from whose possession it is seized or attached, is
prosecuted in a Special Court for an offence under this Act.
9. Issue of show cause notice before forfeiture of proceeds of terrorism.-
(1) No order forfeiting any proceeds of terrorism shall be made under section 8 unless the person
holding or in possession of such proceeds is given a notice in writing informing him of the grounds on
which it is proposed to forfeit the proceeds of terrorism and such person is given an opportunity of
making a representation in writing within such reasonable time as may be specified in the notice
against the grounds of forfeiture and is also given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the
matter.
(2) No order of forfeiture shall be made under sub-section (1), if such person establishes that he is a
bona fide transferee of such proceeds for value without knowing that they represent proceeds of
terrorism.
(3) It shall be competent for the Special Court to make an order in respect of property seized or
attached,—
(a) directing it to be sold if it is a perishable property and the provisions of section 459 of the Code
shall, as nearly as may be practicable, apply to the net proceeds of such sale;
(b) nominating any officer of the Central or State Government, in the case of any other property, to
perform the function of the Administrator of such property subject to such conditions as may be
specified by the Special Court.
10. Appeal.-
(1) Any person aggrieved by an order of forfeiture under section 8 may, within one month from the
date of the receipt of such order, appeal to the High Court within whose jurisdiction, the Special Court,
who passed the order appealed against, is situated.
(2) Where an order under section 8 is modified or annulled by the High Court or where in a
prosecution instituted for the contravention of the provisions of this Act, the person against whom an
order of forfeiture has been made under section 8 is acquitted, such property shall be returned to him
and in either case if it is not possible for any reason to return the forfeited property, such person shall
be paid the price therefor as if the property had been sold to the Central Government with reasonable
interest calculated from the day of seizure of the property and such price shall be determined in the
manner prescribed.
11. Order of forfeiture not to interfere with other punishments.-
The order of forfeiture made under this Act by the Special Court, shall not prevent the infliction of any
other punishment to which the person affected thereby is liable under this Act.
12. Claims by third party.-
(1) Where any claim is preferred, or any objection is made to the seizure of any property under section
7 on the ground that such property is not liable to seizure, the Designated Authority before whom such
property is produced, shall proceed to investigate the claim or objection:
Provided that no such investigation shall be made where the Designated Authority considers that the
claim or objection is designed to cause unnecessary delay.
(2) In case claimant or objector establishes that the property specified in the notice issued under
section 9 is not liable to be forfeited under the Act, the said notice shall be withdrawn or modified
accordingly.
13. Powers of Designated Authority.-
The Designated Authority, acting under the provisions of this Act, shall have all the powers of a civil
court required for making a full and fair enquiry into the matter before it.
14. Obligation to furnish information.-
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, the officer investigating any offence under
this Act, with prior approval in writing of an officer not below the rank of a Superintendent of Police,
may require any officer or authority of the Central Government or a State Government or a local
authority or a bank, or a company, or a firm or any other institution, establishment, organisation or any
individual to furnish information in their possession in relation to such offence, on points or matters,
where the investigating officer has reason to believe that such information will be useful for, or relevant
to, the purposes of this Act.
(2) Failure to furnish the information called for under sub-section (1), or deliberately furnishing false
information shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with
fine or with both.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, the offence under sub-section (1) shall be tried as
a summary case and the procedure prescribed in Chapter XXI of the said Code [except sub-section
(2) of section 262] shall be applicable thereto.
15. Certain transfers to be null and void.-
Where, after the issue of an order under section 7 or issue of a notice under section 9, any property
referred to in the said order or notice is transferred by any mode whatsoever, such transfer shall, for
the purpose of the proceedings under this Act, be ignored and if such property is subsequently
forfeited, the transfer of such property shall be deemed to be null and void.
16. Forfeiture of property of certain persons.-
(1) Where any person is accused of any offence under this Act, it shall be open to the Special Court
trying him to pass an order that all or any of the properties, movable or immovable or both belonging to
him, shall, during the period of such trial, be attached, if not already attached under this Act.
(2) Where a person has been convicted of any offence punishable under this Act, the Special Court
may, in addition to awarding any punishment, by order in writing, declare that any property, movable or
immovable or both, belonging to the accused and specified in the order, shall stand forfeited to the
Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, free from all encumbrances.
17. Company to transfer shares to Government.-
Where any shares in a company stand forfeited to the Central Government or the State Government,
as the case may be, under this Act, then, the company shall, on receipt of the order of the Special
Court, notwithstanding anything contained in the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), or the articles of
association of the company, forthwith register the Central Government or the State Government, as
the case may be, as the transferee of such shares.