THE RAJASTHAN PROTECTION FROM LYNCHING BILL, 2019

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered: Key features of the bill, Why the step is taken, New definition of ‘lynching’, Mob lynching and honour killing related crime growth

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News Flash

The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019 was passed by the Vidhan Sabha by a voice vote.

The bill makes mob lynching a cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence punishable with life imprisonment and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

Key highlights

• The bill providing for life imprisonment and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh to convicts in cases of mob lynching involving the victim’s death.
• In cases of “hurt” and “grievous hurt”, the convict may get up to seven and 10 years in jail respectively; if it leads to death, the punishment is life imprisonment.
• The Bill provides for both death and life imprisonment for killing in the name of honour, but it is doubtful if courts will look at all such murders as among the ‘rarest of rare cases’ that warrants the resort to the death penalty.

There are provisions in the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code to deal with the cases of mob lynching incidents.

 

Lynching

Any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting or attempting an act of violence, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity.

And two persons are enough to constitute a ‘mob’.

 

Investigating officer

Offences will be investigated by a police officer of the rank of inspector and above, and the DGP will appoint an officer of the rank of IG or above as State Coordinator.

 

Background

• Rajasthan has made bold to grapple with ‘mob lynching’ and ‘honour killing’ crimes by passing special penal laws.
• These are already punishable with death or life imprisonment.
• Yet, mob lynching and murderous attacks on young couples in the name of preserving family or community honour have emerged as preponderant social evils.
• 86% of mob lynching incidents reported in India after 2014 were in Rajasthan.

 

Important info

The passage of the Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019, makes Rajasthan the second State, after Manipur, to implement the suggestion.

 

Source: Indian Express

 

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