SC agrees to hear plea seeking action to prevent lynchings, violence against Muslims

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a petition seeking measures to deal with cases of lynchings and mob violence against Muslims by cow vigilantes, PTI reported.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala issued notices seeking responses from the Centre and the police chiefs of Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

The petition has been filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, an organisation linked to the Communist Party of India. The group has sought directions to states to take action in consonance with a Supreme Court verdict from 2018.

In the 2018 case, the court had asked the Centre and states to set up special courts to conduct trials, form a compensatory scheme with provisions for interim relief for victims and their relatives as well as take disciplinary action beyond what is recommended in service rules for officers who do not deal with lynching incidents properly.

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Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the National Federation of Indian Women on Friday, urged the bench not to refer the matter to High Courts.

“If that happens, then I will have to go to various High Courts,” he said, according to PTI. “But...

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