Rajasthan laws against hate crimes

The Rajasthan Assembly has passed a bill providing the death penalty for those convicted of committing hate crimes on couples in the name of “maintaining honour and tradition”.

The Rajasthan Prohibition of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2019, provides for death penalty or life imprisonment for rest of their natural life for “whoever causes death of a couple or either of them on the basis that marriage of such couple has dishonoured, or brought disrepute to, the caste, community or family”.

Even a simple injury to a couple, or either of them, will entail a jail term of three to five years and a fine up to INR 2 lakh. Those holding assemblies to condemn inter-caste or inter-community marriages for ‘family honour’ will also be held accountable and punished, under the new law. Any person organising such assembly and every participant could face a jail term not less than six months and up to five years, and a fine up to INR one lakh.

Rajasthan also became the second state, after Madhya Pradesh, to pass the anti-mob lynching bill in the assembly, allowing life term and a fine up to INR 5 lakh to convicts in such cases involving the victim’s death. The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019, provides punishment with rigorous imprisonment for life and a fine not less than INR one lakh extending to INR five lakh. An offence involving lynching, leading to injuries to the victim, shall be punishable with imprisonment of either a term which may extend to seven years and with a fine which may extend to INR one lakh; those contributing or enforcing a hostile environment on a person or group of persons shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to a fine which may extend to Rs one lakh.