UP govt to pay compensation to mob lynching victims

Uttar Pradesh has decided to pay compensation to the victims of mob lynchings and acid attacks. Rape victims would also be given compensation by the state government.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet held here on Tuesday.

UP government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said here that the district magistrates would have the power to pay 25 per cent interim compensation, which would be decided after taking into account various factors.

He said at present the compensation was provided only after the probe, depriving the victims of immediate relief.

The proposal is in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment of July 17, 2018, in the Tehseen Poonawala vs Union of India case, he said.

Asked about the amount of compensation to be provided to victims of mob lynching or their families, Singh said, "There are different categories. Lynchings are also in different categories and the compensation will be according to these."

The SC had in its order said the state governments should give due regard to the nature of the bodily injury, psychological injury and the loss of earning, including the loss of opportunities of employment, education and expenses incurred on account of legal and medical expenses.

The said compensation must have a provision for interim relief to be paid to the victim/next of kin within a period of 30 days of the incident of mob violence/mob lynching.

The cabinet also cleared the state GST concession to Hritik Roshan starrer 'Super 30', which is based on the life of the mathematician who runs the famed Super 30 programme in Patna for IIT aspirants.

The chief minister also asked the department concerned to provide similar concession to the movie, 'The Tashkent Files', a thriller that revolves around the mysterious death of India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and attempts to uncover if he had actually died a natural death.

(With PTI inputs)