Why in News?

• Recently, killing and burning of two men in Haryana on suspicion of illegal transportation, smuggling or slaughtering of cows by cow vigilantes highlight the issue of Mob Lynching.

Highlights

• Mob lynching refers to targeted violence by a large group of people which includes offenses against the human body or property, whether public or private.
• The mob believes they are punishing the victim for some perceived wrongdoing, even if it’s not necessarily illegal and take the law into their own hands disregarding legal rules and procedures.
• Mob lynching is a hate crime that is rising due to the biases or prejudices among various castes, classes of people, and religions.
• In Hindu religion, cows are revered and worshipped. This sometimes leads to Cow vigilantism.
• It is perpetrated by the majority towards the minority on the presumption that the minorities are in regular consumption of bovine meat.
• Mob lynching is a violation of human dignity, Article 21 of the Constitution, and a gross infringement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Such incidents violate the Right to Equality and Prohibition of discrimination, which are enshrined in Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India.
• However, it is nowhere mentioned in the law of the land and is hence simply put as murder since it has not been yet incorporated under the Indian Penal Code.
• Lynchings have no place in a democratic society like India. As a country that prides itself on being democratic, it is crucial that mob violence is eradicated.
• In a disturbing trend, police inaction in cases of mob violence is often reciprocated by public sanction of extrajudicial punishments by the police. Thus, it is important to gain public trust on legal proceedings.
• All the states and centre should look forward to bringing comprehensive legislation on the matter as brought by states like Manipur, West Bengal and Rajasthan.
• Measures need to be taken to curb the spread of fake news and hate speech