Cow vigilantism: SC issues notice to six states on lynching of Muslims

• Supreme Court issues notice to Center and six states over rising cases of cow vigilantism and mob lynching against Muslims
• PIL filed by National Federation of Indian Women seeks immediate action and compensation for victims in six reported cases
• Petition highlights violent incidents in different states, invoking 2018 Tahseen Poonawala case judgment to protect fundamental rights and curb such crimes

The Supreme Court of India has taken cognizance of the alarming increase in cases of cow vigilantism and mob lynching targeted at the Muslim community and issued a notice to the Central Government and police chiefs of six states.

The notice comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, which seeks immediate action to curb such heinous crimes and compensation for victims in six reported cases over the past two months.

The PIL highlights the rise in violent incidents perpetrated by cow vigilantes against individuals suspected of smuggling beef. In Maharashtra, two such cases were reported on June 8 and 24, resulting in three men being brutally attacked, two of whom tragically lost their lives. The situation was no different in Bihar, where a 55-year-old Muslim truck driver was brutally killed on suspicion of transporting beef. Similarly, in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, two Muslim men were subjected to severe beatings by Bajrang Dal workers on the eve of Eid-Ul-Adha, allegedly for carrying beef meat.

The petition further narrates two other instances of mob violence in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, and Kota, Rajasthan. The Odisha incident involved two Muslim men being restrained with ropes, assaulted, humiliated, and forced to walk through piles of garbage. In Rajasthan, a violent mob attacked a bus carrying Hajj pilgrims, resulting in several injuries. The petition points out that state authorities have failed to effectively address this menace, leading to a distressing situation.

The PIL invokes the 2018 Tahseen Poonawala case judgment, which emphasized the state's duty to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals and promote a secular, pluralistic, and multicultural social order. The court had ordered states to appoint nodal officers not below the rank of superintendent of police to prevent such incidents and directed automatic registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups). Additionally, the court urged states to formulate compensation schemes for lynching and mob violence victims.

The petition identifies hate speech at public events, social media platforms, news channels, and movies as fueling a general narrative of ostracism against minority communities, leading to an increase in communal hatred and division. The spread of such animosity, according to the petitioner, sets the stage for crimes of lynching and mob violence.

With the Supreme Court issuing the notice, the Center and the six states, namely Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra, will be required to respond and take necessary actions to prevent further instances of cow vigilantism and mob lynching, ensuring the safety and security of all citizens irrespective of their religious beliefs.