Bengal mob lynching bill pending at Raj Bhavan for 5 years
In recent months, multiple allegations of mob lynching have emerged from various parts of Bengal. Reasons include suspicions of child kidnapping, theft and even minor altercations. Just last week, there were allegations of five people being lynched over three days.
However, it is important to note in this respect that on August 30, 2019, the West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill was passed by the state assembly. The government sent it to the then-governor Jagdeep Dhankhar for approval on September 4.
That bill is still pending, five years having passed. As a result, it has not yet become law. Notably, the bill prescribes death penalty as the maximum punishment for lynching. Interestingly, the new criminal law that came into effect nationwide on July 1, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita also prescribes the death penalty as the maximum punishment for lynching.
The Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee has alleged that Governor CV Ananda Bose has not yet signed the bill prescribing the death penalty for lynching.
Governor Bose wrote a post on X handle regarding this matter. Among other things, he noted: “Certain clarifications were sought from the State Government. However, no response has yet been received. It is thus lying with the State Government 15.12.2021 pending clarification.”
