Describing cases violence in the name of cow vigilantism as a state issue, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that nobody will be allowed to take law into their hands. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said this was a law and order issue and each state has to be responsible. "A victim is a victim," the Supreme Court bench said while warning against linking mob violence to any particular religion or caste.
The apex court, while hearing pleas seeking directions to formulate guidelines to curb cow vigilantism violence, observed that the instances of vigilantism was actually mob violence, which is a crime. The bench reserved its order which will be pronounced later.
Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha said the Centre was alive to the situation and trying to deal with it. He said the main concern was maintaining law and order.
On September 6, 2017, the Supreme Court had asked all the states to take stern measures to stop violence in the name of cow protection, including appointing of senior police officers as nodal officer in every district within a week and acting promptly to check cow vigilantes from behaving like they are "law unto themselves".
The top court had sought response from Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments on a plea seeking contempt action for not following its order to take stern steps to stop violence in the name of cow vigilantism
The contempt petition has been filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, saying the three states have not complied with the top court order of September 6 last year.
(With inputs from PTI)
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