All India Kisan Sabha Calls for Legislation Against Mob Lynching and Hate Crimes
New Delhi: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Monday urged Parliament to enact legislation to prevent mob lynching and hate crimes, following an incident in Chhattisgarh where a mob attacked three cattle transporters.
In a statement released on Monday, the AIKS condemned the “murder” of two cattle transport workers and the severe injury of another on June 7, 2024, on the Mahanadi Bridge at the Mahasamund-Raipur border in Chhattisgarh.
The AIKS described the perpetrators as “criminal gangsters,” stating that a group of 15-20 individuals had been trailing a truck transporting cattle to Odisha. The group allegedly placed nails on the bridge to deflate the truck’s tires, then attacked the drivers and threw them onto rocks 30 feet below the bridge.
“Tehseen Qureshi died on the spot, and Chand Khan was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Another worker, Saddam Qureshi, sustained severe injuries and remains hospitalized. This incident is clearly a case of premeditated murder and a hate crime, not merely mob lynching,” the AIKS stated.
The organization criticized the state police for registering an FIR under Sections 304 and 307 of the IPC for culpable homicide and attempt to murder, which carry a potential two-year prison term or fines.
“The police have not included Section 302 of the IPC for murder, justifying this serious omission by labeling it a suspected mob lynching in the name of cow protection,” the AIKS added.
The AIKS strongly urged the NDA-led Union Government and the newly elected Parliament to enact laws preventing mob lynching and hate crimes under the guise of cow protection. They also called for the establishment of fast-track courts to expedite trials and convictions to safeguard the interests of cattle farmers, traders, and workers in the industry.
The AIKS demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, including an examination of the police’s role in protecting the criminals, and compensation of Rs 50 lakh each for the families of the deceased workers and Rs 20 lakh for the severely injured worker.
According to police reports, two cattle transporters died, and another sustained serious injuries under suspicious circumstances after allegedly being chased by a mob on Friday. The incident occurred early in the morning in the Arang police station area on the Raipur-Mahasamund inter-district border.
