'Stop Gau Rakshaks immediately!' Supreme court tells states

The Supreme Court has also told the states that they are obliged to compensate victims of violence perpetrated by the unauthorized ‘Gau Rakshaks' On September 6, the SC had ordered states to take immediate steps to rein in cow vigilante groups and prevent these illegal gangs from taking the law into their hands It had directed states to appoint a senior police officer for each district as the nodal person to coordinate action against cow vigilante groups

On September 6, the Supreme Court had directed all 29 states and seven union territories (UTs) to take steps to stop violence in the name of cow protection. And the top court’s directive on Friday, September 22 shows that they mean business.

The court had asked all the states to appoint a senior police officer as the nodal officer in every district within a week to check such vigilante groups. The court is now demanding reports on the steps taken in that direction.

The Supreme Court has also told the states that they are obliged to compensate victims of violence perpetrated by the unauthorized ‘Gau Rakshaks’.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, "Let the compliance reports be filed...nobody can wash off their hands (from their duty). We will give directions to all the states."

“The state is under obligation to frame a scheme and compensate those who are killed in violence,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in reponse to advocate Indira Jaising’s plea for a judicial order for paying compensation to the family of 15-year-old Junaid who was killed in a train near Delhi on June 23, reported the Hindustan Times.

Junaid was killed by a group of fellow passengers while returning to his Ballabhgarh home with his brothers after Eid shopping in Delhi on June 23. His family members were not paid any compensation and his father is ill and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

Jaising was representing Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who is among several petitioners who have moved the top court seeking action against the vigilante groups.

On September 6, the SC had ordered states to take immediate steps to rein in cow vigilante groups and prevent these illegal gangs from taking the law into their hands and keep highways safe from such attacks.

It had directed states to appoint a senior police officer for each district as the nodal person to coordinate action against cow vigilante groups. It had ordered chief secretaries of each state to meet the directors general of police to keep highways safe.