Haryana, Rajasthan, UP Get Contempt Notice From Supreme Court On Cow Vigilantism

The Supreme Court on Monday issued contempt notice to chief secretaries of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for multiple incidents of cow vigilantism, despite orders to appoint nodal officers to ensure such incidents do not occur in their states.

The three states will have to reply to the notice by September 3, reported NDTV.

The apex court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking various reliefs, including a direction to all the governments to take preventive measures against cow vigilantism.

On September 6 last year, the apex court had asked 26 states to maintain law and order and prevent violence by cow vigilantes. The top court also asked the Centre -- which had pleaded that law and order was a state subject -- whether under the Constitution, it had the responsibility to ask states to crack down on cow vigilantism, report added.

Spotlight fell on cow vigilantism with a murder that came to be known as Dadri killing. On September 28, 2015, a mob clubbed to death 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq, 52 after rumours spread that he had slaughtered a calf.

Cow vigilantes have been raiding and attacking trucks and people accusing them of smuggling cows for slaughter or eating beef. Since the beginning of 2015, at least 12 Muslims have been killed in a violent vigilante campaign against cow slaughter and beef consumption in north Indian states.

The cow vigilantes have more or less not paid heed to even Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s calls to end violence.

As the menace spiraled out of hand, the Supreme Court told states to appoint a senior police officer as the nodal officer in each district to ensure that cow vigilantes don’t run riot.

According to The Indian Express, Rajasthan saw at least 23 instances of cow-related violence in 2017, according to data with the state police.

The data indicates that from January till the end of November, 23 cases of cow-related violence were lodged at police stations in various districts of the state.