Centre explores three options to deter lynch mobs

NEW DELHI : A committee of top civil servants is looking at three options to deal with cases of lynching — a model law that states can emulate, a central law with states passing their own enabling legislation and amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) to strengthen the legal response to what the Supreme Court (SC) has termed “mobocracy”.

The committee of secretaries headed by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, which held its first meeting on Friday, met on Saturday with Tehseen Poonawalla, who filed a petition in the SC seeking a separate legislation to deal with lynching, people familiar with the matter said. Poonawalla made a presentation before the panel on a draft antilynching bill called ‘Manav Suraksha Kanoon’ (human protection law).

A home ministry spokesperson refused to comment on the deliberations of the committee, which has to make its recommendations to a Group of Ministers (GOM) headed by home minister Rajnath Singh in four weeks. The GOM ,which also consists of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, will then report to PM Narendra Modi on the measures recommended to deal with incidents of lynching and mob violence.

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By 2022 everyone will have a house, promises PM Modi

LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government was bound to build a system for future generations where life was based on 5 Es – ease of living, education, employment, economy and entertainment. He was speaking at the ‘Transforming Urban Landscape’ event that marked the third anniversary of government initiatives related to urban development. “By 2022 my government will ensure that everyone had a house,” he said. ››P6