Jharkhand passes Bill against mob lynching: Why more states need to clear such laws against mob violence

India has woken up to a new scourge in the recent times — mob lynching. Mob lynching since the infamous Mohammad Akhlaq lynching in Dadri in 2015 has become an alarmingly common phenomenon in the Indian landscape. To battle this, the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday, 21 December, passed the ‘Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021. Talking on the Bill, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said: “The government has brought this Bill to maintain peace, communal harmony, and brotherhood in the state.” Learn more about this legislation and why it is required in the country. What does the Bill say? The Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, passed by a voice vote, envisages imprisonment for those pronounced guilty of mob violence and lynching for periods ranging from three years to life term, besides fine and attachment of property. The Bill also seeks to punish those responsible for sharing information in an irresponsible manner. It provides for fine and imprisonment of up to three years for those creating a “hostile environment”, the definition of which includes threatening or coercing the victims, their family members and witnesses or any person providing assistance to them. It also envisages financial compensation to the victim’s family and free medical treatment of victims of mob violence and mob lynching. Besides punishment, the Bill states that an inspector general-rank police officer will be appointed as a nodal officer, with clearly laid-out powers and duties “to prevent acts of lynching” and “exercise authority against mobs”. Why does Jharkhand need such legislation? Mob lynching became a serious issue of discussion in Jharkhand after the 2019 killing of a young Muslim man, Tabrez Ansari. In a video, which went viral and sparked nationwide outrage, the 24-year-old was shown tied to an electric pole in the village Dhatkidih, near Kadamdih. He was beaten up for the next eight hours and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman". Tabrez was then arrested for suspected theft, and taken to a doctor at a primary healthcare centre. The doctor administered some first-aid and discharged Tabrez. On 22 June, Tabrez died. There have also been innumerable incidents of mob lynching of those suspected of practising witchcraft in the tribal state. In fact, in 2019, four people in their 60s, including two women, were killed by a mob for alleged “witchcraft” at Siskari in Gumla district. Chief Minister Hemant Soren had denounced these incidents of mob violence and promised to bring a legislation against it ahead of the 2019 state Assembly election. Third state to pass such a law Jharkhand is the third state after Rajasthan and West Bengal to pass this kind of a Bill. In August 2019, the Ashok Gehlot government passed the ‘The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019’ providing for life imprisonment and a fine from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to those convicted in cases of mob lynching leading to victim’s death. Similarly in August 2019, the West Bengal Assembly passed ‘The West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019’, proposing a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and fines ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for offences. It defines lynching as any attempt or act of violence by a mob on the “grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity, or any other ground”. Lynchings in India The issue of lynchings has once again caught traction in the country after two people were lynched to death in Punjab on allegations of sacrilege. In the past too, such cases have taken place. For instance, in 2015, Mohammed Akhlaq was murdered by a mob on suspicion of eating beef in Dadri’s Bishada village. Akhlaq was dragged out of his home and stoned to death on a village street after a public announcement from the local temple that the family had slaughtered a calf and eaten its meat, on 29 September 2015. In 2017, Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer from Nuh district of Haryana was allegedly killed by a group of 200 cow vigilantes. In June 2018, cattle trader Mohammad Qasim, 45, was lynched in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur by suspected cow vigilantes for over an hour — his body pierced with screw drivers and skin scraped with sickles. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.