To check the incidents of mob lynching and assault, the State government is likely to bring a new anti-lynching law that is likely to be introduced in the winter session of the state Assembly. The winter session of Jharkhand Assembly is to be held from December 16 to 22.
The Bill according to the draft is Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, aimed at providing “effective protection” of Constitutional rights and prevention of mob violence.
The Bill proposes Capital punishment for those lynching individuals, besides provisions for imprisonment for injuring a person and stiff penalties for participating in a lynch mob.
Prior to Jharkhand, assemblies in States such as West Bengal and Rajasthan have already passed anti-lynching legislation.
Jharkhand has been in the news for cases of mob lynching and the incident where one Tabrez Ansari, 24, was allegedly tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Seraikela Kharsawan district in 2019 on suspicion of theft had its echo in Parliament too. Sources said that there are some strict provisions with capital punishment too for accused in mob lynching incident.
Sources said that to prevent lynching and to punish the acts of lynching in the State, the proposed Bill provides for punishment “with death sentence or rigorous imprisonment for life and with fine which shall not be less than ten lakh rupees” in case of death of the victim.
In case of the act leading to the victim suffering hurt, there are provisions for punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than Rs 1lakh which may extend up to Rs 3lakh. The draft law also lists duties of the police to take all “reasonable steps” such as identifying patterns to preventing mob violence and potential lynching incidents.
If the law is passed, Jharkhand will become the third Indian State – after West Bengal and Rajasthan – to have a dedicated anti-lynching law. Since the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal coalition has 49 of the 81 seats in the State assembly, the law is likely to be passed after being introduced.
“In our manifesto for the 2019 Assembly polls, we had promised to bring about strict laws to prevent mob lynching in the state. Through this bill, we intend to fulfill our promise,” Jharkhand Mukti Morcha general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya.