After 18 months, the Jharkhand government will again bring the mob lynching bill in the monsoon session of Jharkhand assembly commencing from July 28. . This time there is a preparation to bring it in the monsoon session of the Assembly with the new name Prevention of Mob Violence/Murder Bill-2023. Before this it will be passed by the cabinet. Earlier in December 2021, the Mob Violence Prevention and Mob Lynching Prevention Bill-2021 was passed and sent to the Governor in the winter session of the Assembly. But the then Governor Ramesh Bais returned the bill to the government on 18 March 2022 with some objections.
The then Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais had sent the anti-lynching bill back to the state government with two specific suggestions, including reconsidering the definition of ‘mob’ which was “not in consonance with the well-defined legal lexicon or glossary”.
As per earlier bill there is provision for jail terms ranging from three years to life imprisonment and fines of up to ₹25 lakh against those involved in mob lynching leading to “injury or death” of an individual.
The bill also provides for punishment for ‘conspiracy or abetment or attempt to lynch’; ‘obstructing legal process’; ‘dissemination of offensive material’ and ‘enforcing a hostile environment’, besides compensation for the victims as per the ‘compensation scheme’ of the state government. With its passage, Jharkhand had become the third state after West Bengal and Rajasthan to have put in place a bill against the crime.
The issue of mob lynching came into focus in the state in 2019, when Tabrez Ansari was tied to a pole and beaten to death by a mob in Dhatkidih village in Seraikela Kharsawan district on suspicion of theft. Ansari was seen in a video purportedly being forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”.
The State Government has removed the objections raised by the Governor after taking the opinion of the Advocate General. The government is of the view that violence and killings by frenzied mobs taking law into their own hands is a matter of grave concern. It is necessary to stop this. That's why this bill is being brought again. So that the incidents of mob lynching can be stopped and the culprits can be punished.
Meanwhile, former CM and BJP state president Babulal Marandi has raised questions on the intention of the government regarding this. He has clearly said that why is the Chief Minister so worried about this bill? BJP State President Babulal Marandi has written that Chief Minister Hemant Soren is once again going to bring a bill on "mob lynching". The previous bill was returned by the governor. If you have even an iota of honesty in your mind, then bring a bill to "stop religious conversions". Whole Jharkhand, especially Santhalpargana and the Santal community, is being destroyed by "love jihad". If you have the guts, bring a bill on this.
He has written in his social media platform that you will not talk about "stopping religious conversion" and bringing a bill on "love jihad". You will not bring a bill on these. Your intruder voter will be angry. Love Jihad, religious conversion took away the lives of thousands of Santal/tribal girls of Jharkhand. We are not going to give up on this issue.