SC seeks Rajasthan's reply on contempt plea in lynching case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today took note of the July 20 lynching incident in Rajasthan’s Alwar district after it had issued a slew of directions on dealing with cow vigilantism and asked the state government to file its response about the action taken in the case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the Principal Secretary of the Home department of the state government to file an affidavit giving details of the action taken in the lynching case. Rakbar Khan (28) was allegedly beaten by cow vigilantes in Alwar district’s Ramgarh area on July 20 when was leading two cows from Ladpura village to his home to Haryana.

The bench was hearing a contempt plea filed by Tushar Gandhi and Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala seeking contempt action against the Rajasthan government in the mob lynching case at Alwar. They alleged that incidents of mob lynching and vigilantism were taking place despite the apex court verdict in this regard.

The Supreme Court had on July 17 said “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism, warning that such incidents may rise like a “Typhon-like monster” across the country.

The court had also issued a slew of directions to the government to provide “preventive, remedial and punitive measures” to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism. The apex court today asked all other state governments to file compliance report on steps taken by September 7. The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on August 30.