Mob lynching complete failure of law: Ex-CJI Thakur

Mob lynching is a complete failure of rule of law, former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Wednesday said as he cautioned that a judiciary which measures up to some political ideology will not be able to protect the Constitution.

He also said that it is the judiciary that ensures rule of law in the country and makes sure that it is not governed by any autocrat.

Justice Thakur, while speaking at the release of a book "The Wheel of Justice" penned by former law minister M Veerappa Moily, said that a person who committed an offence has to be prosecuted under the rule of law, reports PTI.

He said that even Ajmal Kasab, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks convict, got a fair trial right up to the Supreme Court and he was not left to be lynched on the streets.

"Mob lynching is a complete failure of rule of law. If a mob can take law into its hands and administer sundry justice, what kind of rule of law is that? If somebody has committed an offence, the law requires him to be prosecuted.

"Even Kasab, a murderer who came to kill innocent people, got a fair trial. Got a trial right up to the Supreme Court. His mercy petition was considered. You all know that the apex court sat at midnight to examine whether there was any injustice in his trial. Because we believe in rule of law. He could have been left to be lynched in the streets of Mumbai by a mob but it would be the negation of rule of law. If that had happened, our heads would have hanged in shame before civilised countries," Thakur said in the presence of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.