Bengal Government Plans Stringent Anti-Gang Law With Asset Seizure
Times of India | 25 June 2026
Kolkata: Bengal is going to have a new, stringent law to control criminal activity by organised syndicates or gangs, under which state govt plans to bring in provisions for the detention of criminals that can last from a fortnight to a month, set up special courts for faster trials, and create a clear route for confiscating and auctioning assets allegedly linked to crime — while still allowing restitution if an accused is later cleared.
CM Suvendu Adhikari said the bill will be introduced in the current assembly session. Officials say the state is consulting legal experts and studying similar laws elsewhere, while building in a dedicated special court to handle syndicate-related cases.
A key feature is asset confiscation. Police have already seized “black money, gold and other valuables” from alleged syndicate figures since the BJP govt came to power, and the law is being tailored around such cases. While Section 107 of the BNSS already provides for property attachment, the Calcutta High Court recently warned police and trial courts against using it mechanically — pushing the state to spell out a tighter, step-by-step process.
As one official described it: “In this new law, the IO is to identify the property and determine if it is derived directly or indirectly from criminal activity. Upon such identification, the IO will obtain approval from the SP or DC and make an application for the attachment of the property before the court. Later, it will be auctioned, and the proceeds will go to the exchequer.”
The same official added an important caveat: If the court later acquits the accused — giving them a “clean chit” — the state would return the auction proceeds, since the money would be held by the exchequer.
The govt also wants sharper criminal penalties. Plans include death or life imprisonment in cases where syndicate violence causes death, say sources. For grievous hurt, proposed punishments could be seven years or more, depending on injury severity and property damage such as arson, along with an additional fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Preventive detention is another pillar. The CM wants a statute to hold individuals for up to six months without trial if their actions are seen as a threat to public peace.
The draft is being shaped with reference to laws like Tamil Nadu’s Goondas Act, Gujarat’s PASA, Kerala’s KAAPA, the Goondas Act used in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, J&KPSA, Maharashtra’s MCOCA, and Bihar’s 2024 anti-gang law.
State Bar Council chairman and Budge Budge TMC MLA Ashok Deb warned the law may face judicial scrutiny and civil liberties pushback, arguing it could hand police sweeping powers that risk infringing constitutional rights.