New Delhi, July 24: The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra, speaking on the issue of mob lynching, has said that the blatant reliance on social media needs to be checked by the citizens themselves, in order to ensure peace and order in the society. The comment by CJI comes in the wake of increasing cases of mob violence and lynching, the most recent being the killing of Rakbar Khan, on the suspicion of smuggling cattle. The Supreme Court has been pushing the Centre to frame a separate law making 'lynching' a crime.

Check the tweet carrying the CJI's comment by ANI below:

The Supreme Court on July 17, had urged Centre to frame a separate law in Parliament to deal with cases of lynching. The court fixed the matter for further hearing on August 28. During the hearing on petitions against cow vigilantism, the three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said, "No citizen can take law into their own hands nor become the law unto themselves. It is the duty of State to ensure maintenance of law and order so as to protect secular ethos and prevent mobocracy."

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachudpassed, passed a slew of directions to provide "preventive, remedial and punitive measures" to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a contempt plea against the Rajasthan government for violating court directives in a mob lynching case in Alwar district last week.

The Centre, on Monday, said that it is considering the possibility of amending the Indian Penal Code to define 'mob lynching' as a penal offence, a senior government functionary confirmed. Another option being considered is to draft a model law that states can adopt to prevent incidents of mob lynching, added a senior government functionary.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2018 07:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).