West Bengal to recover triple damages for vandalism under new law
West Bengal has introduced a law to recover three times the value of property damaged in violent protests and vandalism. The move signals tougher action against disorder while seeking to reassure industry and investors.
The West Bengal government will recover three times the value of property damaged in vandalism under a new law aimed at maintaining public order, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday. He told members of civil society and the business community that while people have the right to protest, violence and damage to industrial establishments would invite strict action and heavy financial penalties.
He said the amount would be recovered even by auctioning the property of an accused person if they failed to pay the damages. The warning comes days after the West Bengal Assembly passed two law-and-order bills that the government said would strengthen the state's powers to deal with organised crime and public disorder.
Addressing a meeting in Bhawanipur on Saturday evening, Adhikari said, "If someone forcefully shuts an industrial unit and vandalises it, one will be jailed and pay a penalty three times the damage. If the damaged property is worth Rs 1 crore, they will have to pay Rs 3 crore." He said everyone had the right to protest, but it should not turn violent or result in damage to industrial units.
The two legislations passed by the Assembly on June 28 are the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act and the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill. The amendment law makes individuals financially accountable for damage to public and private property during riots, unlawful assemblies and violent protests, while the second bill proposes preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial.
The government has said the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act is meant to protect industrial and public assets and strengthen investor confidence by ensuring accountability for destruction of property. In essence, the new legal framework seeks to curb violent protests and vandalism by combining jail terms with financial recovery linked to the extent of the damage.
The West Bengal government will recover three times the value of property damaged in vandalism under a new law aimed at maintaining public order, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday. He told members of civil society and the business community that while people have the right to protest, violence and damage to industrial establishments would invite strict action and heavy financial penalties.
He said the amount would be recovered even by auctioning the property of an accused person if they failed to pay the damages. The warning comes days after the West Bengal Assembly passed two law-and-order bills that the government said would strengthen the state's powers to deal with organised crime and public disorder.
Addressing a meeting in Bhawanipur on Saturday evening, Adhikari said, "If someone forcefully shuts an industrial unit and vandalises it, one will be jailed and pay a penalty three times the damage. If the damaged property is worth Rs 1 crore, they will have to pay Rs 3 crore." He said everyone had the right to protest, but it should not turn violent or result in damage to industrial units.
The two legislations passed by the Assembly on June 28 are the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act and the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill. The amendment law makes individuals financially accountable for damage to public and private property during riots, unlawful assemblies and violent protests, while the second bill proposes preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial.
The government has said the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act is meant to protect industrial and public assets and strengthen investor confidence by ensuring accountability for destruction of property. In essence, the new legal framework seeks to curb violent protests and vandalism by combining jail terms with financial recovery linked to the extent of the damage.
