Lynching: SC issues notice on plea for implementing order

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a petition seeking direction to stop increasing mob lynching incidents targeting the minority community in the country. A set of directions was laid down by the top court in its 2018 judgement to prevent mob lynching.

The petition was listed before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The petitioner contended incidents of mob lynching are on rise especially in the garb of cow protection, and that such acts of violence blatantly infringe on fundamental rights. "The angry mob is trying to become the final adjudicator by punishing the accused without even informing the police and taking law into their hands", said the petitioner.

Citing a spurt in violence, the petitioner said the cow vigilante groups claiming to be "protector of cattle have already taken lives of many innocent Muslims and Dalits merely on suspicion of cow slaughtering and cattle trading." 

The petitioner cited the September 2015 incident where Mohammed Akhlaq, a farm worker, and his son Danish were beaten up by a group of men for allegedly consuming and storing beef. 

The court after hearing the initial arguments issued notice to the Centre, National Human Rights Commission and eleven state governments.

The petitioner sought court's direction to state governments to furnish status report on mob lynching incidents in their jurisdiction, and attach action taken reports "with regard to the directions and guidelines laid down by the apex court against repeated incidents of mob lynching." 

The petitioner also sought court's direction to Parliament to enact a law to contain the incidents of mob lynching by making it "cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence in a time-bound trial." 

The petition also invoked the compensation scheme for victims in mob lynching cases. "In computation of compensation, the state government should give due regard to the nature of bodily and psychological injury, and also loss of earning, including loss of opportunities, of employment, education, and expenses incurred on account of legal and medical expenses". 

These directions were passed by the top court in the Tahseen Poonawalla case, claimed the petition. The petition was filed through advocate Manju Jetley. The petitioner is a not-for-profit organization, Anti-Corruption Council of India.IANS