New Delhi: Only 16 states on Friday submitted their compliance report on lynching incidents after the Supreme Court had ordered all the states to do so.

The court was hearing a petition on lynching incidents across India.

The apex court Court granted one week’s time to all states to implement its earlier judgment which had laid down guidelines to prevent mob-lynching incidents.

The top court said if states fail in filing their affidavits regarding steps taken to prevent incidents of cow vigilantism and mob lynching, the home secretaries will have to appear in person. Additionally, the court directed all states, UTs to publish the guidelines on official websites.

The court further said that people should desist from taking law into their own hands and peace and harmony must be maintained in society.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to consider if a new law is required to tackle incidents of mob violence.

On Wednesday, a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh met to deliberate on the report prepared by a panel to see if the country needs a new law to deal with the rising number of lynching cases.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the GoM was briefed about the report compiled by the committee of secretaries.

In July, the court had, in a strongly-worded observation, said state governments have greater obligations to take a stand against mob lynchings, including those by cow vigilantes.

The court had also issued a slew of directions to the government to provide "preventive, remedial and punitive measures" to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism.