Kolkata: Bengal’s new anti-organised crime law, popularly known as the ‘Goonda Act’, came into effect on Monday after a gazette notification, with chief minister Suvendu Adhikari describing it as a major step to strengthen law enforcement, curb anti-social activities and organised crime, and act as a deterrent against criminals.
Officially titled the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, the legislation significantly expands the power of the police and the district administration to deal with organised criminal networks and repeat offenders. Bengal witnessed 34 years of Communist harmad rule followed by 15 years of Trinamool-backed goonda raj. One of the most significant features of the new law is the introduction of preventive detention, allowing the authorities to detain a person without trial for up to 12 months if they believe the individual poses a threat to public safety or is planning a serious anti-social or organised criminal activity.
Announcing that the act came into effect, CM on Monday asserted that the legislation was necessary to tackle what he described as “CPM harmads and Trinamool goons”. The assembly passed the legislation, and the Governor gave his assent,” the CM said. “This law was badly needed. A strong law was essential to deal with them.
Adhikari announced during a visit to Baruipur on Friday that the law would be enforced from Monday. Speaking again on Monday at the assembly after accompanying the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidates during the filing of their nomination papers, he defended the legislation, saying it became a necessity.
The board, led by a chairperson who is a serving or former Calcutta High Court judge, will decide if a person should remain in detention or be released. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
An advisory board will be constituted to scrutinise every detention case within three weeks, according to the act. In the absence of an advisory board yet, the act cannot be fully enforced, according to experts. The existing legal framework was inadequate to effectively tackle organised crime and restore the rule of law in the state, according to senior govt officials.
However, it is still unclear whether the board has been constituted. The administration maintains that widespread extortion, alleged syndicate operations and criminal intimidation that flourished during the previous regime required stronger legal provisions. The act also empowers the administration to extern or remove suspected offenders from a particular locality as a preventive measure. Some have compared the preventive detention provisions to those available under the Centre’s National Security Act (NSA), although the new legislation is designed specifically to address organised crime and anti-social activities within Bengal. The enactment of the law has already triggered political debate, with supporters arguing that stronger legal powers are necessary to combat organised criminal networks, while critics are expected to scrutinise the wide preventive detention powers granted to the administration and their implications for civil liberties. The govt, however, has maintained that the legislation is intended solely to strengthen public safety and improve law and order by enabling authorities to act before serious crimes are committed. Download the TOI App.