Bill on mob violence

• All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief has sent notice for a private members Bill in the Lok Sabha to combat mob violence.

Highlights of the bill:

• Mob violence include any act in which two or more persons injure, harm, oppress or threaten a person on the basis of his identity or prevent his enjoyment of a Constitutional right.
• The Bill criminalises mob violence as well as acts of omission by public servants.
• The Bill proposes special courts for trying cases of mob violence, with judges appointed by a collegium of five senior-most High Court judges. These courts will receive complaints of mob violence, set up special investigation teams and appoint public prosecutors. The SIT and public prosecutor will also be under Supreme Court supervision.
• Punishment up to life imprisonment, special compensation and witness protection are built into the Bill.
• It proposes to award penalties to public servants when such cases are not properly investigated, either due to malafide intentions or wilful neglect. It proposes to award a minimum 10 years’ imprisonment to public servants for “acts of omission”.

By: Vishal