Criminology of Mob Lynching

The Uttar Pradesh draft bill on mob lynching looks weak in many respects, although it contains some preventive provisions as well. While Parliament is also contemplating to have a comprehensive law on this issue, lynching instances continue to rise. Amidst rising concern over the increasing incidents of mob lynching, the UP Law Commission has come out with a draft legislation to address this issue. With as many as 50 cases of lynching from 2012 to 2019, this state has decided to deal with the problem stringently. The draft bill proposes maximum seven years of imprisonment to lynchers and also imposes a punishment of three years on police officials in case of dereliction of duty in such cases. The draft bill looks weak in many respects, although it contains some preventive provisions as well. While Parliament is also contemplating to have a comprehensive law on this issue, lynching instances continue to rise.