Government sets up panel, GoM headed by Rajnath Singh to suggest measures to deal with mob lynching

NEW DELHI: Days after the Supreme Court called for a separate law to deal with mob violence and lynching, the Centre has set up a high-level committee chaired by home secretary Rajiv Gauba to formulate appropriate measures to deal with such incidents. The recommendations of the panel will be examined by a Group of Ministers led by home minister Rajnath Singh, which will then submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a final decision.


The home ministry on Monday also sought a report from Rajasthan government on the

Alwar

lynching, apart from issuing a fresh advisory urging all states and Union territories to initiate effective measures to prevent instances of mob violence and lynching and take stringent action as per the law. The advisory, which followed the Supreme Court’s directions on mob lynching dated July 17 and a fresh incident in Alwar, asks the states/UTs to implement the same.

The apex court had on July 17 asked Parliament to enact a special law establishing lynching by mobs as a separate offense with punishment. It said it was the obligation of the Centre and states to ensure that “nobody takes the law into his hands nor become a law into himself”, apart from calling for preventive, remedial and punitive measures to deal with lynching and mob violence.

Apart from the home secretary, the panel that will deliberate on all issues relating to mob lynching shall include secretary, justice; secretary, legal affairs; secretary, legislative department and secretary, social justice and empowerment. The committee will examine the issue of establishing mob lynching as a separate offense and the legal framework under which this can be done.

The panel’s recommendations will be studied a group of ministers headed by home minister Rajnath Singh and comprising external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, and social justice & empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

The group of ministers will submit its recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The home ministry, in a statement issued on Monday, said the government was concerned at the incidents of mob violence in some parts of the country and had already condemned such instances. The government, it said, had made its stand clear in Parliament that it was committed to upholding the rule of law and adopting effective measures to curb such incidents.

Underlining that ‘police’ and ‘public order’ were ‘State’ subjects, the home ministry said the state governments were responsible for controlling crime, maintaining law and order, and protecting the life and property of citizens. “They are empowered to enact and enforce laws to curb crime in their jurisdiction,” it said

It recalled the multiple advisories issued by the home ministry to the states/UTs. “An advisory on addressing the issue of lynching by mobs on suspicion of child lifting was issued on 04.07.2018. Earlier, an advisory was issued on 09.08.2016 on disturbances by miscreants in the name of protection of cow,” it said.

“Government respects the recent directions of the Supreme Court on the issue of mob violence, and has issued an advisory to state governments urging them to take effective measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching and to take stringent action as per law,” said the home ministry release.

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