“Obligation of states to ensure that such incidents do not occur,” the apex court observed.
Taking a strong exception to the alleged lynchings by cow vigilantes, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said the onus lies on states to ensure that such incidents do not occur. “This kind of incidents cannot occur. It can’t be accepted in remotest sense. Obligation of states to ensure that such incidents do not occur,” the apex court observed.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said this was a law and order issue and each state has to be responsible. The bench observed that the instances of vigilantism was actually mob violence, which is a crime. The top court has reserved its order on pleas seeking directions to formulate guidelines to curb such violence.
Last year, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar directed the Centre and states to take strong measures to curb cow vigilantism.
“Who will stop them? Some mechanism has to be there to prevent violence indulged in by these groups. This must stop. Some kind of planned and well-coordinated action is required by the governments so that vigilantism does not grow,“ the bench said.
The apex court had sought response from Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments on a plea seeking contempt action for not following its order to take stern steps to stop violence in the name of cow vigilantism, today led the Supreme Court to seek responses from the three states.
The contempt petition has been filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, saying the three states have not complied with the top court order of September 6 last year.
In June this year, a cattle-trader was beaten to death by a mob at a sugarcane field in Hapur’s Pilakhuwa. The family of the victim claimed Qasim, 45, was attacked in connection with a “cow-related matter” while the police insisted that he was victim of a road rage incident. A 65-year-old man, Samiuddin, was also injured in the attack.
The police have arrested two men, identified as Yudhishtir Singh and Rakesh Sisodia, on the charge of murder. The FIR notes that the incident was the result of a scuffle between unidentified bike-borne men and the two victims.
with inputs from PTI