SC seeks govt reply on Alwar lynching
NEW DELHI: Taking note of the lynching incident that took place in Rajasthan’s Alwar district three days after it issued a slew of directions on July 17 for curbing rising incidents of mob violence in the name of cow vigilantism, the Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from the Rajasthan government if it took steps as per its directions or not.
A bench led by Chief justice Dipak Misra directed Rajasthan’s principal secretary, home department,to file a reply on the issue after a contempt petition against the state came up for hearing before it. Social activist Tehseen Poonawalla and Tushar Gandhi have pressed for an action against the state for failing to abide by the judicial instructions.
On being informed by their lawyers that the local police did not take the victim, Rakbar Khan (28), for medical aid immediately, the bench also asked Rajasthan to let it know what action was initiated against the erring officers. It fixed August 30 to hear the matter. Additional advocate general, Rajasthan Government, Shiv Mangal Sharma told the bench that “some action was taken” but could not elaborate it further. The affidavit, he said, would contained detailed information about what steps the state has taken so far in the case.
Appearing for Tushar Gandhi, senior advocate, Indira Jaising placed on record what she called a sworn affidavit to claim that the state police personnel had admitted to the three hour delay in moving the victim to the nearest hospital. Rakbar died on account of police negligence. She demanded personal presence of state principal secretary. Rakbar Khan was allegedly beaten by cow vigilantes in Alwar district’s Ramgarh on July 20 when was leading two cows from Ladpura village to his home to Haryana. He was attacked on the suspicion of cow smuggling for slaughter.
Other states and Union territories too have been asked by the top court to file a compliance report to its July 17 directives within two weeks, in which it had said that “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land. Parliament was asked to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism. The court will take note of the compliance affidavit on September 7.