Patna (Bihar) [India], January 11 : The Bihar State Minority Commission has taken strict cognisance of the increasing incidents of mob lynching in the state and has directed the appointment of a senior police officer as a nodal officer in every district to maintain a peaceful environment.
According to an official release, in Patna, the Commission expressed deep concern over the tragic and worrying reports of mob lynching frequently emerging from the state and demanded prompt and effective action from the state government. In this regard, the Commission Chairman, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Balyawi, sent a letter to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Bihar and the Director General of Police.
According to the Commission, viral videos on social media and news published in various newspapers and channels make it clear that in several districts of Bihar, mobs are targeting people for violence based on rumours and religious identity by labelling them as "Bangladeshis," which is highly condemnable. The letter mentions several key incidents, stating that Mohammad Athar Hussain, a resident of Gagan Diwan village in the Laheri police station area of Nalanda district, who traded clothes as a peddler in Nawada district, fell victim to mob lynching and died during treatment.
Similarly, an attempt was made by a mob to attack an elderly Muslim man in Muzaffarpur district. Additionally, Mohammad Murshid Alam, a resident of Supaul district, was brutally beaten and seriously injured in Tichka village under the Rajnagar police station area of Madhubani district, the release noted.
The Commission stated that such incidents are creating an atmosphere of fear within the minority community and weakening the general public's trust in the law and justice system. The letter also recalled that in 2018, the Supreme Court issued clear guidelines regarding preventive, remedial, and punitive measures to stop mob lynching incidents.
According to the Supreme Court's instructions, a senior police officer should be appointed as a nodal officer in each district, an FIR should be registered immediately upon receiving information of mob lynching, with strict legal action taken against the culprits, and immediate relief and compensation should be provided to the victims and their families, the release said.
Furthermore, if any district administrative officer is found negligent in complying with the Supreme Court's instructions, disciplinary action should be taken against them as well.
Finally, Commission Chairman Maulana Ghulam Rasool Balyawi demanded that the state government ensure strict compliance with the Supreme Court's orders and provide information regarding the actions taken to the Commission, the release stated.