SC to hear contempt pleas against Rajasthan govt on Aug 28 in lynching case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on August 28 the pleas seeking contempt action against the Rajasthan government in the recent mob lynching case at Alwar.

In the contempt pleas filed by Tushar Gandhi and Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala, they alleged that incidents of mob lynching and vigilantism were taking place despite a verdict by the apex court in this regard. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra said it would hear the petitions on August 28.

Presenting their case in front of the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, Gandhi and Poonawala sought contempt actions against the Rajasthan government. The petitioners urged that directions should be issued to follow the apex court verdict in letter and spirit. The bench said it would take up the matter along with the main case on August 28.

The apex court had on July 17 asked the Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to become a new norm.

On July 21, a man was allegedly lynched by a group of people on suspicion that he was smuggling cows in Alwar district of Rajasthan.