BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Police on Monday warned people against engaging in mob violence and lynching. The state police said stringent action will be initiated against those involved in such serious offences. The Supreme Court has directed that lynching and mob violence of any kind will lead to serious consequences under the law. People should not engage in such acts as stringent action will be initiated against the perpetrators, said Odisha Police. The state police further warned that every member of a mob or conspirator of such offences will have to undergo severe punishment as per the law.
Odisha Police’s warning comes after the Supreme Court in July issued notices to the Centre and DGPs of six states on a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging rising incidents of cow vigilantism and mob lynching against Muslims.
The PIL also demanded compensation for victims in six cases reported this year and raised concerns regarding incidents of lynching and mob violence, especially committed by cow vigilantes, despite the apex court guidelines issued in the 2018 Tehseen Poonawala case to prevent and curb such crimes.
Notices were issued to Centre and six states including Odisha, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Maharashtra on the plea filed by the National Federation of Indian Women. In one such incident which took place in June, the PIL mentioned the violent attack on two men in Bhubaneswar who were tied using ropes, assaulted and forced to walk through garbage.