Make lynching a separate offence, SC tells Parliament

Make lynching a separate offence, SC tells Parliament

News:

1. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered the Center and the State to take immediate steps to stop the dissemination of fake news, which has a tendency to whip up a mob frenzy.

Important facts:

2. While condemning the recent spate of lynchings as “horrendous acts of mobocracy” , the apex court held following observations on the subject:

• The court has asked the Parliament to make lynching a separate offence.
• The Bench provide the reasons for mob violence such as:
  1. By the apathy of the bystanders.
  2. Numbness of mute spectators.
  3. Inertia of the Police
  4. Grandstanding of the incident by the perpetrators of the crimes on social media.

3. The apex court ordered the following measures to prevent the mob violence cases.

• The court ordered the State governments to have a task force to procure intelligence on people likely to spread hate speeches in each district.
• The district level nodal officers should hold regular meeting with their local intelligence units to identify the existence of the tendencies of vigilantism and mob violence.
• Prohibits instances of dissemination of offensive material on social media.
• Nodal officers in districts shall take steps to eradicate a hostile environment against any community or caste.
• The police shall register an FIR under Section 153A(promoting enmity) of the IPC against the suspects.
• If found guilty, a person faces up to five years of imprisonment.
• The trials shall be held in a fast-track court on day-to-day basis and completed within six months.
• The maximum sentence should be granted to the guilty.
• The court directed the Central government to issue appropriate directions to the States to reflect the gravity of the situation.
• While giving the above suggestions, the apex court said” the primary obligation of the government is to protect all individuals irrespective of race, caste, class or religion.” The Court described lynching and mob violence as “creeping threats”.