Supreme Court to hear plea seeking action against cow vigilante violence targeting muslims

The Supreme Court, on July 27, agreed to consider a plea filed by a women's organisation, the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), seeking directions to states for immediate action against incidents of lynching and mob violence perpetrated by cow vigilantes against Muslims. The plea aims to enforce the apex court's 2018 verdict that addressed the issue of cow vigilantism and provided guidelines to curb such violence.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala issued notices to the Centre and the Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, seeking their responses to the plea.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing NFIW, argued against referring the matter to various high courts, expressing concerns about delayed justice for the victims. "Compensation of two lakhs after ten years," he lamented, pointing out the need for immediate intervention to protect the victims' rights.

The plea, filed through advocates Sumita Hazarika and Rashmi Singh, highlights the "alarming" rise in cases of lynching and mob violence targeting the Muslim community, despite the clear guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 2018 regarding cow vigilantism.

The petition urged the apex court to mandate the concerned State authorities to take prompt action in line with the 2018 verdict in Tehseen Poonawalla case to effectively address and contain such violence.

The 2018 verdict laid out guidelines for the prevention of cow vigilantism and emphasized the State's responsibility to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals, fostering a secular and multicultural social order.

The plea cited recent incidents of mob violence, including the killing of a 55-year-old truck driver, Jaharuddin, in Bihar's Saran district on June 28, 2023, on suspicion of carrying beef. It also referred to similar incidents in Maharashtra's Nashik.

The PIL also sought direction from the Centre to provide a minimum uniform amount of compensation to the victims of such violence, in addition to the compensation determined by respective states, considering various factors like bodily injury, psychological trauma, loss of earning, legal and medical expenses.