Assam may bring in law against mob lynching, says Pijush Hazarika

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday said that it will discuss and consider a proposal to introduce a bill against mob lynching in view of several shocking incidents.

Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said on the first day of the winter session of the Assembly that the state government has not thought about it so far, but they will discuss and consider the acts implemented by other states.

Hazarika said that as of now, the Assam government has not looked at the anti-mob lynching laws of states like Manipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Hazarika recalled that the Supreme Court, in the judgement in Tehseen Poonawalla case, had issued a set of guidelines to stop mob lynching incidents. "It had also said that there was scope of enacting anti-mob lynching laws," he said.

He further mentioned several cases of mob lynching that took place in Assam in last few years that are being tried in fast-track courts under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

It needs mention here that on November 29, a 28-year-old All Assam Students' Union (AASU) leader was lynched by a group of people in Jorhat after a heated argument over an accident in plain view of the public.

BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia said that instances of witch-hunting and mob lynching are continuing unabated in different places of Assam despite an act against witch-hunting already in force in the state.

The  urged the government to bring in a strong act against all forms of mob lynching in the state.

It needs mention here that the Assam government had notified the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015 on October 1, 2018, making every offence related to witch-hunting as cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, making provisions for imprisonment up to seven years along with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for identifying and calling a person "witch".

This act will come with Section 302 of the IPC if someone is killed after being branded as a witch.

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