Mobocracy can't be allowed, act to curb cow violence: SC to Centre, states

New Delhi: No citizen can take law in their hands, the Supreme Court observed Tuesday while hearing a plea against cow vigilantism.

The apex court made it imperative for the state to act positively in case of fear and anarchy, stressing that violence in no form can be allowed.

The horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands, the three-judge bench led by chief Justice Dipak Misra observed.

The court reserved its verdict on compensation to victims and fixing responsibility on cow vigilantism, which it said was mob violence.

The top court also asked Parliament to formulate a separate law against lynching. The court also directed states and Union Territories to submit a compliance report in four weeks.

The matter will be heard again on August 28.

The court was hearing petitions by activists Tehsin Poonawallah and Tusshar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who wanted violence by cow vigilante groups to be checked.

Cow Vigilantism victim Mahammed Qasim’s younger bother Mohammed Salim said: “We were confident that the Supreme Court would give us justice. No one should be killed in the name of cow smuggling.”

Mohammed Qasim was killed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur on June 18 who accused him of attempting cow slaughter. Videos of the incident showed that uniformed police men on the site didn’t do anything to stop the violence.

Earlier, the court’s attention was drawn to the violence in Maharashtra where five people were lynched following Whatsapp rumours that they were child lifters. The court had strictly said that violence by any vigilante group should be stopped.

Last September, the Supreme Court had directed all states and Union Territories to take strict measures against cow vigilantism and asked for officers to be appointed to monitor such violence.