New mob lynching law being considered by the Centre

The Centre is considering the possibility of introducing changes in the Indian Penal Code following which mob lynching would be defined as a penal offence.

Another possible option under consideration is to draft a model law which can be adopted by states to prevent incidents of mob lynching, a senior government official said.

The official added that the Centre is currently examining the Supreme Court order about laws for public lynching and it will take some time before any strong action can be taken. If the IPC is amended, then the government will have to do more than introducing a stand-alone law on mob lynching.

Alluding to the recent cases of mob lynching that have been reported from all over the country, the official said that the government may also take some steps to fortify the framework related to social media in order to curb the spread of rumours which often lead to cases of public lynching.

The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to consider the passing of a new law to deal with mob violence.