State must prevent violence by vigilante groups: SC
New Delhi, July 3: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it was the obligation of the State that crimes involving vigilante groups are prevented, saying self-appointed vigilantes can't be allowed to take law in their hands.
Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud reminded the Centre and State governments of their responsibility to curb violence by vigilante groups.
The court said this while hearing of batch of petitions including one by social activist Tehseen S. Poonawalla and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking to curb violence by cow vigilante groups.
Tushar Gandhi had also filed a contempt plea on some States, accusing them of not enforcing the earlier orders of the court.
The court said that violence by any vigilante group had to be curbed after its attention was drawn to the violence in Maharashtra in which five people were killed in mob violence in the wake of social media posts on alleged child lifters.
Reserving the order, the court gave all the parties three days time to submit their written submission with suggested guidelines to deal with such violence.
Appearing for Tushar Gandhi, senior counsel Indira Jaisinh told the court that despite its order to appoint nodal officers to prevent such incidents, there was an incident of mob lynching near the national capital.
She told the court that the purpose of moving the contempt plea was not to punish someone but for the effective enforcement of its orders by the state governments.
"Unlike other crimes, this crime (by vigilante group) has a pattern and motive and the question is whether State is acting or not," Jaising said.
Article 256 of the Constitution, which spells the obligation of States and the Union, provides that the Centre could give necessary directions to the States in a given situation.
Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha said the Centre could issue advisories to the States as law and order was a State subject.
He said that the concern was of maintaining law and order and the question was implementation of Supreme Court orders by the State governments.
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Sanju Samson ton guides India to 61-run win over South Africa
Durban, Nov 8: Sanju Samson scored a scintillating century as India inflicted a 61-run defeat on South Africa in the first T20I here on Friday.
Invited to bat, Samson blazed away to 107 off 50 balls, hitting as many as 10 sixes and seven fours to help India post 202 for 8.
The spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy (3/25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) then shared six wickets between them to bowl out South Africa for 141 in 17.5 overs.
Earlier, Samson became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in T20Is.
The opener notched his second T20I hundred off just 47 balls. His first had come in India's last outing against Bangladesh last month.
However, South Africa clawed their way back into the game as they stemmed the flow of runs by picking wickets in the last five overs.
Pacer Gerald Coetzee who claimed three wickets was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts.
Brief Scores:
India: 202 for 8 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 107, Tilak Verma 33; Gerald Coetzee 3/37)
South Africa: 141 all out in 17.5 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 25; Varun Chakaravarthy 3/25, Ravi Bishnoi 3/28)
