Jharkhand assembly passes Bill to prevent mob violence, lynching

The Jharkhand Assembly passed the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, which aims to protect the constitutional rights of individuals and avert mob brutalities in the state. After including one amendment, the Bill was passed and sent to the Governor for his assent. Once notified, Jharkhand will become the fourth state to bring in such a law after West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Manipur.

About the bill:

• The bill provides a jail term of 3 years to life imprisonment and fines of up to ₹25 lakh against those involved in mob lynching leading to “injury or death”.
• The Bill defines lynching as “any act or series of acts of violence or death or aiding, abetting or attempting an act of violence or death, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or any other ground”.
• In case of a lynching incident leading to the victim suffering hurt, the convicts will be punished with imprisonment up to 3 years and a fine between ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh.

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