Mob lynchings: Centre forms high-level committee to suggest ways to curb violence; report expected in four weeks

The central government on Monday set up a four-member committee to examine whether the country needs a separate law to curb lynching and mob violence. The committee will look into the incidents of mob violence and lynchings and submit recommendations on ways to tackle the challenge. The panel, to be headed by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, has to submit its recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi within four weeks.

#BREAKING -- Government panel to assess separate law for lynching. Panel to give recommendations to Centre in 4 weeks | @Arunima24 with more details #BringLynchLaw pic.twitter.com/pWypzqcWb2

— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 23, 2018

The committee will also comprise the secretary of justice, secretary of legal affairs, secretary of the legislative department and secretary of social justice and empowerment, according to The Times of India. A Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by home minister Rajnath Singh, will look into the recommendations of this panel. Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawar Chand Gehlot are believed to be members of this GoM, according to News18.Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to draft a new legislation to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching. It had also urged the Centre and state governments to take preventive measures to control the spread of fake messages on social media platforms, which can incite a mob to lynch. The government’s move comes days after a group of villagers lynched a 28-year-old man in  Rajasthan's Alwar district  on Friday night allegedly on suspicion of cow smuggling. The victim, Akbar Khan, and his friend Aslam were taking two cows to their village in Haryana through a forested area near Lalawandi in Alwar when five men attacked them, said Subhash Sharma, station house officer of the Ramgarh Police Station. With inputs from PTI