L-G approves amendment to compensation scheme for victims of mob violence, lynching
New Delhi, December 29
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday approved the amendment in the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme, 2018. This will enable providing compensation to the victims of mob violence and lynching.
An official said: “The proposal was submitted by the Delhi Government after a delay of five years as the Supreme Court had directed state governments to prepare such scheme in one month in 2018.”
According to the amendment in the scheme, the definition of ‘victim’ has been amended to include guardian or legal heir of a person who has suffered loss or injury or death as a result of the offence, including the offence of mob violence and mob lynching and interim relief would be paid to the victim(s) or the next of the kin of the deceased within 30 days of the incident.
The apex court had in July 2018 directed the state governments to prepare a lynching and mob violence compensation scheme in the light of the provisions of Section 357-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) within one month of the judgement.
The verdict had given the guidelines that in the scheme for computation of compensation, the state governments shall give due regard to the nature of bodily injury, psychological injury and loss of earnings, including loss of opportunities of employment and education and expenses incurred on account of legal, medical and other sufferings due to mob lynching and violence, the official added.
The Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme 2018 was notified with the approval of the then LG in 2019 but the issue of compensation for lynching and mob violence was not covered in it, he said.
