Draft proposal recommends life term and Rs 5 lakh fine in mob lynching case making

New Delhi, July 28: The meeting organized between the petitioner in the mob lynching case and the government, it was proposed by the government to make changes in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Murder and attempt to murder sections instead of making some new laws.

The government constituted a team of group of ministers (GoM) to frame laws to deal with mob lynching under Union Home minister Rajnath Singh.

Sources said that today's meeting was attended by Union Home secretary, law secretary, justice secretary, social justice secretary and NCKB representative.

This was an attempt on part of the central government to curb the increasing menace of mob lynching in the country and the Centre has started the process of bringing in an anti-lynching law.

The government-appointed a panel headed by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired the first meeting with advocate Anas Tanvir and social activist Tehseen Poonawalla, who is one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court.

The SC had earlier this month recommended to the Parliament to draft a law on this. Tushar Gandhi is another petitioner against mob lynching but he was not invited in the meeting.

According to the draft law that Anas Tanvir has submitted to the government, it has recommended life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakhs in case of death of the person in the mob lynching and making the offence cognisable and non-bailable.

The draft proposal also says in case of dereliction of duty on part of the police officer once any case of mob violence comes to their knowledge, they should be given imprisonment of six months and a fine of Rs 50,000.

The draft says, "It shall be the duty and responsibility of the state government for making arrangements for the protection of victims, and witnesses against any kind of intimidation, coercion or inducement or violence or threats of violence."

The panel of the home secretary will take note of the presentations from all the stakeholders and will submit its suggestions to the Home ministry within four weeks. Following this, the committee headed by Rajnath Singh would take over.

The GoM will deliberate upon suggestions made by the committee of bureaucrats and it will then submit a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on measures to be taken against lynching and mob violence.

The latest incident of lynching was reported from Rajasthan's Alwar district where a 28-year-old Rakbar Khan was lynched allegedly on suspicion of cow smuggling.

On July 17, 2018 the SC had made the Centre and the state governments accountable for mob lynching, and asked them to take steps to stop disseminating irresponsible and explosive messages and videos on social media.