Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has given approval to a modification in the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme 2018, allowing for ex gratia payments to victims of mob violence and lynching, according to officials from Raj Niwas on Friday. The amendment broadens the definition of ‘victim’ to include the guardian or legal heir of an individual who has suffered loss, injury, or death due to mob violence and lynching. Under the updated scheme, interim relief is proposed to be disbursed to the victim(s) or the deceased’s next of kin within 30 days of the incident.
The initiative comes after a five-year delay by the Delhi government in submitting a proposal, despite the Supreme Court’s 2018 directive to state governments to formulate a compensation scheme for lynching and mob violence victims within a month. The court outlined guidelines for the computation of compensation, urging consideration of bodily injury, psychological trauma, loss of earnings, opportunities for employment and education, and expenses related to legal, medical, and other sufferings arising from mob lynching or violence. While the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme, 2018, was initially notified with LG approval in 2019, it did not cover compensation for lynching and mob violence, prompting the recent amendment.
Post Your Comments