Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly known as TADA, was an Indian anti-terrorism law which was in force between 1985 and 1995 (modified in 1987) amid the Punjab insurgency and applied to the whole of India.
[5] The Act's third paragraph gives a very thorough definition of "terrorism": "Whoever with intent to overawe the Government as by law established or to strike terror in the people or any section of the people or to alienate any section of the people or to adversely affect the harmony amongst different sections of the people does any act or thing by using bombs, dynamite or other explosive substances or inflammable substances or lethal weapons or poisons or noxious gases or other chemicals or by any other substances (whether biological or otherwise) of a hazardous nature in such a manner as to cause, or as is 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 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, commits a terrorist act.
[1] Confessions made to police officers was admissible as evidence in the court of law, with the burden of proof being on the accused to prove his innocence.
[1] Courts were set up exclusively to hear the cases and deliver judgements pertaining to the persons accused under this Act.
[4][6][7] The criticism are centred on the following facts: The number of people arrested under the act had exceeded 76,000, by 30 June 1994.
The Supreme Court has held that mere membership of a banned organisation does not make the member liable for the punishment under this Act.