Indian SC moved against alarming rise in mob lynching of Muslims

The Indian Supreme Court has sought the response of the Union government and the police in six States in a petition regarding an alarming rise in incidents of mob lynching of Muslims in India.

The National Federation of Indian Women in the petition raised concern about the alarming rise in incidents of mob violence against the Muslims and sought immediate interim compensation for the families of victims of such incidents. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for NFIW, the women’s wing of the Communist Party of India.

The bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala issued notices to the Union government and the police in the States of Maharashtra, Haryana, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, Bar and Bench reported.

As per the petition, the rampant rise in mob violence and lynching is the natural consequence of lack of action by the State, despite the Supreme Court laying down punitive and remedial measures in the Tehseen Poonawalla case.

It maintained that the raising violence against Muslims should be viewed as the result of a general narrative of ostracization that minority communities face. “This narrative has been borne out of false propaganda that is spread through public events featuring hate speech that targets minorities as well as through social media, news channels and films,” it added.

The plea pointed out that in most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seems to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery.

The NFIW urged the Supreme Court to order a minimum, uniform compensation amount in addition to the ex gratia payments sought for the families of mob violence victims.