Delhi LG V K Saxena has approved an amendment to the Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme 2018, allowing ex-gratia payments to victims of mob violence and lynching, as per officials from Raj Niwas on Friday.
They noted that the Supreme Court had directed state governments in 2018 to formulate such a scheme within a month, but the Delhi government took five years to submit a proposal.
Under the changes in the scheme, the definition of ‘victim’ has been revised to include the guardian or legal heir of a person who has suffered loss, injury, or death due to mob violence and lynching. Interim relief is proposed to be paid to the victim(s) or the next of kin of the deceased within 30 days of the incident.
On July 17, 2018, the apex court mandated that state governments create a compensation scheme for lynching or mob violence within one month, following the provisions of Section 357A of the CrPC. The guidelines specified that in computing compensation, state governments should consider the nature of bodily injury, psychological injury, and loss of earnings and also take into account the loss of opportunities for employment and education. The scheme should address expenses incurred on legal, medical, and other sufferings resulting from mob lynching or mob violence.
The Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme, 2018, was notified with the approval of the then LG in a notification dated June 27, 2019. However, it did not cover compensation for lynching and mob violence, according to the official statement.