Jharkhand Governor sends back 'Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill'

Ranchi: Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais is understood to have returned the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, passed by the state assembly in December last year, with two objections.

Sharing the list of objections, an official who did not wish to be quoted, said the bill was returned on Wednesday highlighting the mismatch between the Hindi and English versions of the Bill and the need to reconsider the definition of mob.'

The first objection reads, Section 2: Sub section-I, Sub Clause-xii deals with Witness Protection Scheme' (in the English version of the Bill). This clause-xii is missing in the Hindi version of the Bill. This needs to be rectified/ corrected by the State Government so that there is a symmetry in both the versions of the Bill.

The second objection suggests, There is a need to reconsider the definition of mob' as given in Section 2(vi) of the Bill, which is not in consonance or in line with the well-defined legal lexicon/glossary.

A group of two or more individuals cannot be called a tumultuous crowd'. A mob is a large, angry, and disorderly crowd of people who are often uncontrollable or violent. The state government must revisit the definition of the 'Mob'.

However, principal secretary to Governor Nitin Madan Kulkarni said, he was unaware of the development as he was on leave.