SC grants six weeks time to various states to respond to PIL against alarming rise of lynchings

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted six weeks to various state governments to file their reply detailing the action taken in cases of lynchings and mob violence.  

A bench, headed by Justice B.R. Gavai, was hearing a PIL filed by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) seeking directions to the Directors General of Police of the states to take immediate action in lynchings and mob violence cases in accordance with the directions laid down by the apex court.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta, noted that most of the states have not filed their affidavits to the instances of mob lynchings highlighted in the petition.

"It was expected of the state governments to at least respond and give details as to what action has been taken in respect of the said instances. We, therefore, grant six weeks time to all the state governments – who have not yet filed their affidavits – to file their counter-reply and give an explanation as to what action has been taken by the states in respect of incidents mentioned in the writ petition or interlocutory applications," the apex court said.

In July last year, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra governments.

Later, all state governments were added as parties in the PIL on an application moved by Islamic clerics organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The plea prayed for a minimum uniform compensation to be determined by the court that should be granted to the victims or their families in addition to the amount determined by the authorities.

"In most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seems to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery," it alleged.

--IANS

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