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The spate of mob lynchings across the country in various states has reached the Supreme Court . Aghast at the spate of attacks the Supreme Court has now asked Parliament to enact a Law to curb this heinous crime that threatens the rule of law and the social fabric of the country.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra condemned case of mob-lynching and called the incidents “horrendous acts of mobocracy” which cannot be allowed to become a new norm. Pronouncing the judgment, Misra said that no one can take the law into their hands or become a law unto himself.
The bench, which also comprised Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud, said it was the duty of state governments to ensue law and order in society, besides ensuring that the rule of law prevailed. The bench passed a slew of directions to provide “preventive, remedial and punitive measures” to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism as it said that it was the duty of state governments to ensue law and order in society. “Citizens cannot take law into their hands and cannot become law unto themselves,” the bench said.
The judgement passed saw 11 directives by the Supreme Court they are as follows :
* The state governments shall designate a senior police officer in each district for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.
* The state governments shall immediately identify districts, sub-divisions and villages where instances of lynching and mob violence have been reported in the recent past.
* The nodal officers shall bring to the notice of the DGP any inter-district co-ordination issues for devising a strategy to tackle lynching and mob violence related issues.
* It shall be the duty of every police officer to cause a mob to disperse, which, in his opinion, has a tendency to cause violence in the disguise of vigilantism or otherwise
* Central and the state governments should broadcast on radio and television and other media platforms including the official websites that lynching and mob violence shall invite serious consequence .
* Curb and stop dissemination of irresponsible and explosive messages, videos and other material on various social media platforms. Register FIR under relevant provisions of law against persons who disseminate such messages.
* Ensure that there is no further harassment of the family members of the victims.
* State governments shall prepare a lynching/mob violence victim compensation scheme.
* Cases of lynching and mob violence shall be specifically tried by designated court/fast track courts earmarked for that purpose in each district. The trial shall preferably be concluded within six months.
*To set a stern example in cases of mob violence and lynching, the trial court must ordinarily award maximum sentence upon conviction of the accused person.
*If it is found that a police officer or an officer of the district administration has failed to fulfill his duty, it will be considered as an act of deliberate negligence.
