Supreme Court Directs 5 States Including Assam To File Counter-Affidavit In PIL Against Mob Lynching

NEW DELHI: The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) filed a public interest litigation (PIL), prompting the Supreme Court to order five states Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bihar—to file counter-affidavits in response.

The court has set a firm deadline for these states to respond, warning that failure to do so would mean that the Chief Secretaries of these states will have to appear in person and explain why they should not face legal action.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan directed the submission of the counter-affidavits by the next hearing date, scheduled for four weeks from now.

The Chief Secretaries of the concerned states must act on this order from the Registrar (Judicial), ensuring that the matter proceeds according to plan.

Background of the PIL

The NFIW petitioned the Supreme Court, calling for the issuance of a mandamus, compelling the authorities to act without delay in accordance with the findings and guidelines specified in the landmark Tehseen Poonawalla judgment of 2018.

The petition highlighted several lynching incidents, including two separate cases in Bihar and Maharashtra where mobs targeted Muslims on allegations of beef smuggling.

The NFIW reports that the state machinery has repeatedly failed to implement preventive measures or to hold perpetrators accountable for such crimes.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling, issued a series of guidelines directing both the Union and state governments to take immediate and decisive steps to prevent mob violence and vigilantes.

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