Facing heat over a spate of mob lynching cases, the Manipur government has planned to bring in legislation to curb such incidents in the state.
A legislation–the Manipur Mob Violence Control and Prohibition Bill –will be tabled in the next session of the state assembly, NDTV reported.
The decision to introduce the anti-mob lynching bill was taken at a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the channel said in the report.
A 26-year-old man was lynched in Imphal West district on last Thursday after being accused of stealing a vehicle by local residents. Five people were arrested on Friday for the lynching, including a personnel of India Reserve Battalion (IRB).
Farooque Khan, belonging to Lilong Haoreibi in Thoubal district, was attacked by a mob at Tharoijam. The mob also destroyed a car in which Farooque and two others were travelling.
The Manipur Human Rights Commission also took up the case suo motu in connection with the incident. It directed the Manipur DGP to probe the matter and submit a report by September 22.
The Supreme Court (SC) on July 24 condemned lynching incidents and recommended to Parliament to enact a separate law to punish offenders participating in lynching.
A bench of Chief Justice (CJI) Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had said state and central governments have to take preventive, punitive and remedial measures to stop lynching incidents in future.
CJI Misra said the Centre and states have to file compliance report on a series of directions given by the SC to prevent and punish lynching.