Make law to prevent 'horrendous acts of mobocracy': SC to govt on lynchings

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to become a new norm. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also passed a slew of directions to provide "preventive, remedial and punitive measures" to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism. The bench, which also comprised justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said it was the duty of state governments to ensue law and order in society, besides ensuring that the rule of law prevailed. "Citizens cannot take law into their hands and cannot become law unto themselves," the bench said. "Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become a new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands," it said, adding that states cannot turn a deaf ear to such incidents.