'Unfeasible': SC on national directives on mob lynching

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to issue nationwide directives for uniform compensation and monitoring cases of mob lynching and cow vigilantism, stating that such an approach would be "unfeasible" and might prove counterproductive to victims.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

A bench of justices BR Gavai and K Vinod Chandran, hearing a petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), observed that law enforcement and redressal mechanisms should be pursued through jurisdictional high courts rather than the apex court engaging in "micromanagement".

The petition, filed in the wake of increasing instances of mob violence allegedly linked to cow vigilantism, sought enforcement of the court's 2018 ruling in the Tehseen Poonawalla case. This judgment laid down guidelines for curbing mob lynching, including appointing nodal officers in states and ensuring swift action against perpetrators. The petitioners contended that compliance with this ruling remained largely on paper.