To end mob lynching, Supreme Court gives an 11-point prescription

Mob lynchings: The top court gave a a slew of directions, including preventive, remedial and punitive steps, to deal with the crime.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday condemned mob lynching incidents across the country and urged Parliament to enact a law to deal with the crime that threatens rule of law and the country’s social fabric.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to become a new norm.(Burhaan Kinu/HT file photo)

Here’s a slew of directions, including preventive, remedial and punitive steps, the top court gave to deal with the crime:

* 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.