Lynching: CM holds meet, says ‘have zero tolerance towards these incidents’

Kolkata: The state administration on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh and a job of homeguard to the next of kin of victims of lynching. The police administration clarified that they would take strong action against individuals who take the law into their own hands.

Meanwhile, sources from Nabanna reported that on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee voiced her displeasure and concern over the recurring incidents of such assaults. Banerjee, who also oversees the Home Department, held a meeting with top police officials at Nabanna, where she emphasised a policy of zero tolerance towards

these incidents. She directed the police to increase their alertness and vigilance and also pointed to intelligence failures in one or two of these cases. Announcing the compensation, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chief advisor to CM, said: “We are well aware that no compensation is enough for the family of a victim but in order to provide some sort of economic relief, the state government will be providing compensation to the tune of Rs 2 lakhs and job of a homeguard to the next of kin of the victim.”

In 2018-19 the state had released guidelines related to such incidents. We have further circulated the same and directed for stricter vigilance, further augmenting information networks and enhancing connection with the common people,” said ADG (Law and Order), Manoj Kumar Verma.

These guidelines have been widely circulated on June 26.

In recent times, there have been incidents of people being beaten up over rumours of child lifting or thievery and in a few cases, reports of death also surfaced. There have been incidents of persons being lynched at Salt Lake, Jhargram, Kalna, Gaighata and Ariadaha to name a few in the last few days.