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 Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday passed the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021 amid opposition by the BJP and ignoring the demand of other legislators for a discussion on it in the House.

The Bill aims to provide effective protection of Constitutional rights and prevention of mob violence. It 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. It 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.

“Where the act leads to the victim suffering grievous hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and with fine which shall not be less than three lakh rupees and may extend up to five lakh rupees,” the provisions of the proposed Bill, a draft of which is with PTI, states.

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 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 co-ordinate prevention of lynching. The nodal officer will be appointed by the Director General of Police.

The Nodal Officer, on enactment of legislation will be required to hold regular meetings, at least once a month, with local intelligence units in the districts, so as to identify tendencies of vigilantism, mob violence or lynching in an area and take steps to prevent dissemination of offensive material through various social media platforms or any other means which could incite mob vigilantes.

The proposed Bill states that every police officer, directly in charge of maintaining law and order in an area, shall take all reasonable steps to prevent any act of lynching including incitement and commission and will make all possible efforts to identify and prevent instances of dissemination of offensive material or any other means to incite or promote lynching.