The Supreme Court on September 24 asked eight states and one union territory (UT) to file their replies within two weeks in connection with its directives to curb cow vigilantism and mob lynching incidents. The SC said that people should realize that such kind of incidents would invite the “wrath of law”.
Apex court bench headed Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra took note of the fact that eight states, including Mizoram, Telangana, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, are yet to file reports indicating the compliance of its July 17 verdict giving a slew of directions to deal with cow vigilantism and mob violence.
The court has asked the Centre and the states to give wide publicity within a week on how mob violence of any kind will invite serious consequence under the law.
SC by its July 17 judgment had directed the central and the state governments to “broadcast on radio and television and other media platforms, including the official websites of the Home Department and Police of the states, that lynching and mob violence of any kind shall invite serious consequence under the law.”
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising, representing petitioner Tushar Gandhi, told SC despite its orders, the Centre and states haven’t been publicizing it.
The apex court said, “The purpose of broadcasting is to put the preventive measures on a high pedestal and people must realize lynching will invite serious trouble.”
The petitioners said that 54 victims of mob lynching are yet to get compensation from the states.
