SC to Centre, states: Take urgent steps to stop cow vigilantism

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court directed the Centre and states on Wednesday to take stern action to curb cow vigilantes by ensuring they don't terrorise highways and sought the appointment of nodal officers in each district to coordinate measures against self-styled “gau rakshaks".Stating that cow vigilantes should not be permitted to take the law in their hands or become a law unto themselves, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar reminded the Centre of its stand that it did not support cow vigilante groups and asked who would check the law-breakers. “Who will stop them? Some mechanism has to be there to prevent violence indulged in by these groups. This must stop. Some kind of planned and well-coordinated action is required by the governments so that vigilantism does not grow,“ the bench said. The court directed state governments to appoint a senior police officer for each district as the nodal officer to coordinate action against cow vigilante groups.Appearing for Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat, additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the required mechanism will be set up and stern action taken against those who indulge in violence in the name of cow vigilantism . The SC asked all other states to follow suit.“If any kind of deviancy takes place, the said nodal officer shall take action and such vigilantes will be booked in accordance with law with quite promptitude (sic),“ the bench ordered.The SC also warned petitioners against politicising the issue. While appreciating the need to check the violence, the bench suggested, “You (petitioners) should also take up (through PILs) what happened in Bihar two days ago. Nearly 200 animals were slaughtered.“Just after Eid-ul-Zuha, reports from Muraliganj block of Madhepura district in Bihar stated that 200 slaughtered cattle were seen floating in water.Appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, counsel Indira Jaising scythed through the NDA government's stand against violence perpetrated by cow vigilantism and said incidents have grown after the July 21 assurance of the Centre to the SC. “Haryana CM assuring the vigilante groups that FIRs against them will be withdrawn (sic). Immediately thereafter a person was killed in the state. So it is not a mere law and order situation.“When Jaising raised the issue of legitimate transporters of cattle being intimidated, the bench ordered the chief secretaries of each state to work with DGPs to secure highways from vigilante groups. The SC asked states to file compliance of its orders -on nodal officers and safe highways -within a week and posted the matter for further hearing on September 22.