india

Updated: Sep 15, 2019 21:44 IST

Six men, who tried to lynch a woman on Saturday night suspecting her to be a child lifter and even attacked a police team that came to her rescue, were nabbed near Siliguri in north Bengal before being sent to judicial custody for five days on Sunday.

Assistant public prosecutor Sushant Niyogi said, “A woman was assaulted on the suspicion of being a child lifter on Saturday night in Siliguri. When police reached the spot the mob vandalised their vehicles and assaulted the officers. While the police tried to restore order the injured woman fled.”

Incidents of mob rage are on the rise in Bengal. A man was lynched at Salanpur area of Asansol in West Burdwan district on Wednesday morning, again on the suspicion of being a child lifter. The man was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. “We are trying to establish the identity of the victim,” said Abhishek Gupta, deputy commissioner, zone 1, Asansol Durgapur police.

This was the second death by lynching since the state assembly passed the West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill 2019 on August 30. Three other victims of attempted lynchings managed to survive.

The (Prevention of Lynching) Bill 2019, provides for life imprisonment for injuring a person and capital punishment for causing death. The Left and the Congress supported the Bill, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed it.

While placing the Bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government is also contemplating compensation of up to Rs. 5 lakh and a job for the next of kin.

“Lynching is a social evil and all of us have to come together to fight against this evil. The Supreme Court has given direction to take action against lynching. The Central government should have brought a law against it. But as it is yet to do so, we are bringing this law in our state. We need to raise awareness against lynching,” Banerjee had said in the assembly.