Jharkhand passes bill to prevent mob violence and lynching

Jharkhand Assembly passes a bill against mob lynching and mob violence on Tuesday reports ANI. The latest tweet by ANI states, 'Jharkhand Assembly passes 'Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021''

According to a report by Asianet Newsable, the bill aims to provide effective protection of Constitutional rights and prevention of mob violence. The report says that the bill includes provisions like registering an FIR for disseminating "explosive and irresponsible" content, providing free medical care to victims and punishment for creating a "hostile environment" for victims or witnesses.

The bill also sets out a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25 lakh for anyone found guilty of lynching or its abatement, says the report. With this development, Jharkhand has now become the third Indian state – after West Bengal and Rajasthan – to have passed a dedicated anti-lynching bill.

The proposed Bill provides for the appointment of a State co-ordinator not below the rank of the Inspector General of Police to be called the Nodal Officer to monitor and coordinate prevention of lynching. The nodal officer will be appointed by the Director-General of Police.

The bill will be now be sent to the governor for his assent to become law in accordance with the constitutional norms.

Tabling the Bill in the House, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said its main objective is to provide "effective security" to the people, protect their constitutional rights and prevent mob violence.

During the debate on the bill, the main opposition BJP introduced several amendments which were sidelined by the government by voice vote. BJP leader C P Singh accused the state government of bringing the bill "in a hurry for the appeasement of minorities".

There have been reports of many cases of mob violence in Jharkhand, but incidents of mob lynching in the state came to the fore in 2019 when 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari was tied and thrashed in Seraikela Kharsawan district on suspicions of theft of a goat. He died later due to the lynching.

There have also been incidents of mob lynching of those suspected to be practising witchcraft in the tribal state. Chief Minister Hemant Soren had denounced incidents of mob violence and promised to bring legislation against it ahead of the 2019 state Assembly election.

Earlier this year, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government had decided to set up district-level committees to deal with cases of mob violence and mob lynching after being rebuked by the high court

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Assam government had said that it will discuss and consider a proposal to introduce a bill against mob lynching, in line with states like Manipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Replying to the issue of bringing in legislation to stop incidents of mob lynching, Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said in the Assembly that the state government has not thought about it so far.