Cow mobs: Supreme Court issues notice to 4 BJP-ruled states
The court has sought replies from the states by April 3.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday slapped contempt of court notice on BJP-ruled Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana for their failure to implement its direction to check assaults in the name of cow vigilantism by appointing a nodal police officer in each district. If the court finds the chief secretaries of the states guilty of contempt of court, they are liable for a maximum punishment of six months in jail.
A three-judge bench headed Chief Justice Dipak Misra issued notice to the states asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for non-implementation of its September 6, 2017, order to rein in cow vigilante groups. The court has sought replies from the states by April 3.
The contempt of court notice was issued on a petition filed by journalist Tushar Gandhi who alleged that 66 incidents of assaults in the name of cow vigilantism had taken place despite the court’s direction in September.