Delhi LG approves scheme to compensate victims of mob violence, lynching

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has given the green light to amendments in the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme 2018, which will now facilitate the provision of ex gratia to victims affected by mob violence and lynching, Raj Niwas officials said on Friday.

They highlighted that in 2018, the Supreme Court directed state governments to establish such a scheme within a month. However, it took the Delhi government five years to submit a proposal, the officials said.

The revised scheme now broadens the definition of a ‘victim’ to include the guardian or legal heir of an individual who has suffered injury, loss, or death due to mob violence or lynching.

An interim relief provision has been proposed to ensure payment to the victim(s) or the deceased’s next of kin within 30 days of the incident, an official said.

On July 17, 2018, the apex court mandated that state governments formulate a compensation scheme for lynching and mob violence under Section 357A of the CrPC within one month of the judgment.

The court specified guidelines for determining compensation, emphasising consideration for bodily and psychological injuries, loss of earnings, as well as factoring in the loss of employment and educational opportunities. Additionally, it urged the inclusion of expenses incurred due to legal, medical, and other hardships resulting from mob lynching or violence, according to the official.

While the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme, 2018, received notification with the former LG’s approval on June 27, 2019, it did not encompass provisions for compensating victims of lynching and mob violence, said the official. (With inputs from PTI)