Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind moves SC against increase in cases of mob lynching

The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has moved an application before the Supreme Court against an an "alarming increase" in incidents of mob lynching, particularly by cow protection vigilante groups.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Friday said it will consider the impleadment application filed by the organisation of Islamic scholars in the pending proceedings.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged that all state governments be added as party to the PIL filed by the National Federation of Indian Women.

The application of impleadment filed through advocate Sugandha Anand referred to a recent incident where a group of four Hindu men attacked a 23-year-old Muslim physiotherapist from Madhya Pradesh as she was coming home from work.

"It is submitted that these are just some incidents that have been highlighted here, but these incidents of mob violence, cow vigilantism have been on the rise and it seems that they will continue to haunt our secular, multireligious fabric of nation, unless strictly dealt with by police, state and Central government," the application stated.

In July, the top court had issued notice to the Centre and the Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra governments against the alarming rise in cases of lynchings and mob violence against Muslims, particularly "done by cow vigilantes".

The public interest litigation had said the lynching and mob violence should be seen as a result of the general narrative of ostracisation of minority communities through false propaganda being spread by means of public events where hate speeches are made targeting the minorities, as well as through social media channels, news channels, and films.

Further, it stated that the state has a "sacrosanct duty to protect its citizens from unruly elements and perpetrators of orchestrated lynching and vigilantism with utmost sincerity and true commitment".

"The positive duty of the State to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals and the primary responsibility of the State to foster a secular, pluralistic and multiculturalist social order, have been recognised by this Court in several judgments," the plea had stated.

The matter is likely to be taken up for further hearing on 8 December.