Karnataka High Court
The officers shall constitute a special task force to gather intelligence on people likely to commit such crimes or those involved in spreading hate speech, provocative statements, and fake news, Justice Vijayakumar A Patil said in his Aug 20 order. The order was passed while dealing with petitions filed by the police and the kin of deceased Mangaluru resident Ashraf, who was assaulted and killed on April 27, 2025, by a mob after he raised a ‘Pakistan, Pakistan’ slogan at a cricket match. To effectively curb this alarming phenomenon, Parliament introduced BNS Section 103(2), which explicitly criminalises mob-driven violence by stipulating that when a group of five or more persons acting in concert commits murder on the grounds of race, caste, community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or similar factors, every member of the group shall face stringent punishment, including the death penalty or imprisonment for life, alongside a mandatory fine,” Justice Patil said in the order.
Justice Patil directed the state govt to identify, within three weeks, districts, sub-divisions and/or villages where instances of lynching and mob violence have been reported in the past five years. Bengaluru: High court has directed the state govt to appoint a nodal officer in every district, assisted by a DSP-rank officer, to take measures against mob violence and lynching . Justice Patil dismissed petitions seeking cancellation of bail granted to the accused, noting that the charge sheet had already been filed and there was no requirement for custodial interrogation. ‘Mob lynching a grave threat’ “Mob lynching represents a grave threat to the rule of law, human rights and social fabric, as it replaces legal justice with brutal, collective lawlessness driven by prejudice, intolerance and hate. He also directed the secretary, home department, to issue appropriate directions to nodal officers to ensure extra vigilance and caution by officers in charge of police stations in the identified areas.
The courts shall ensure that victims or the next of kin of the deceased in cases of mob violence and lynching receive free legal aid, if they so choose, and engage any advocate of their choice from among those enrolled in the legal aid panel under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru Stay updated with the latest Bengaluru news.
The courts shall also ensure that, on an application by a witness or by the public prosecutor in relation to such witness, or on their own motion, measures deemed fit are taken for protection of witnesses and for concealing their identity and address, Justice Patil said in the order. The state govt shall ensure that nodal officers conduct a review meeting once every month to gather intelligence on tendencies of vigilantism, mob violence or lynching in the district and take steps to prohibit dissemination of offensive material through social media platforms or any other means for inciting such tendencies, the judge added. ‘Formulate scheme for interim compensation’ Justice Patil also directed the state govt to formulate a scheme within three months to grant interim compensation to the victim or the victim’s next of kin. He directed the registrar (judicial) of the high court to issue a circular to the concerned branches, directing them to raise objections if the victim is not arrayed as a party in cases involving mob violence or lynching. Download the TOI App.