SC asks Centre to make special law to deal with lynchings

NEW DELHI: Amid growing concern over incidents of mob lynching in various parts of the country, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a set of preventive, remedial and punitive measures to check vigilante groups from taking law into their own hands.

No citizen can take law into their own hands, says SC.

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 17

Amid growing concern over incidents of mob lynching in various parts of the country, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a set of preventive, remedial and punitive measures to check vigilante groups from taking law into their own hands.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said such acts have to be curbed with an iron hand.

The Bench, which had reserved its verdict on the issue on July 3, ordered the Centre and states to implement its order within four weeks and file compliance reports.

Pronouncing the verdict, the CJI said it was the duty of the state to ensure maintenance of law and order, pluralistic social fabric and rule of law in the country.

"Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be tolerated... it cannot be allowed to become a new norm. It has to be curbed with an iron hand," said the Bench, which also included Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud.

"This is still a society that champions civil rights," it noted.

It suggested that Parliament should make a special law categorising lynching as a separate with severe punishment so as to instill fear of law among perpetrators of such crime.

Expressing serious concern over what it termed "growing numbness" among the public about lynchings, it said it was time for a clarion call to arrest the worrisome trend.

"No citizen can take law into his hands or become a law on to himself,” said the Bench

The order came on PILs against cow vigilante groups that had killed several people in various parts of the country.

But the top court expanded the scope of the petitions to include any kind of lynchings, irrespective of the motive behind the crime.

“States are under obligation and the courts also have to see to it that such incidents are prevented,” the Bench had said on July 3.

This is the second time that the top court has issued directions to check vigilante justice. Earlier, in September last year, it had issued certain directions, including appointment of nodal officers, to prevent cow vigilante groups from resorting to mob violence against cattle traders.

On its part, the Centre has maintaines that law and order was the responsibility of state governments and it had issued a series of advisories to them on the issue.