A Step In The Right Direction?
Expressing concern over the loss of life and public property during agitations, which continued despite guidelines framed by it, the Supreme Court asked the Centre on Tuesday to bring a law to fix liability on people who could be prosecuted and made liable to pay compensation for indulging in and abetting mob violence.
What the court said
A bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit said a mechanism must be set up to decide such cases and suggested that district courts could be entrusted with the task of prosecuting people and fixing the compensation to be paid by them for loss of lives and public property.nThe court said law enforcement authorities should also be made accountable for not taking preventive steps to control agitations. It said the authorities should video record agitations to catch those indulging in or provoking people into violent agitation.
Centre’s take
Attorney general K K Venugopal told the court that the Centre was planning to amend the Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act to incorporate provisions to fix liability as per the SC guidelines and the government was yet to take a decision on how to compensate and through what mechanism.
SC interventions in the past
The SC had passed a slew of directions including putting in place a mechanism under which individuals could claim damages by filing writ petitions against private parties responsible for calling the bandh, during which destruction of property took place. The court had also allowed high courts to take suo motu cognisance of such incidents and start proceedings against people responsible for violence. nIt had said a sitting or retired HC judge or a sitting or retired district judge be appointed as a claims commissioner to estimate the damages and investigate liability. It had said damages should be awarded to an extent not greater than twice the amount of the damage.
Students React
Instigating mob violence in a country divided on caste and community grounds can lead to fatal outcomes. Such people usually work behind the scenes and go scot-free. The law, if followed, will help to mitigate the consequences of mob violence and act as a warning to others indulging in such practices.
Siddhant Jain, class XII, Abhinav Bharati High School, Kolkata
Introducing a law that imposes liability on people who indulge in mob violence is a good idea because most of the victims of mob violence are innocent. They end up getting injured because of the mood of the mob, which cannot be controlled. Having a law may deter people from mindless violence.
Ananya Mohan, Grade X, Singapore International School, Mumbai
With no strict action being taken against people who cause damage and destruction to government property — and also private property — we really need to enforce a proper law for this. A comprehensive law will check political parties that aspire to establish their might and identity through hartals, violence, and mayhem.
Shubh Panchal, class XII, Podar International School, Ahmedabad
Stringent law is the need of the hour because mob violence affects the image of our nation at international platforms and the government is spending crores to rectify it. People indulging in violence and arson should be punished. As suggested by the SC, severe fines should be imposed; they will act as deterrents.
Ashutosh Majhwar, class XII, St Paul School, Nagpur
