Supreme Court refuses plea by Jamait Ulma-e-Hind against UP's non-compliance with mob-violence guidelines

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a petition by Jamiat Ulma E Hind against claiming that even though the supreme court has laid down guidelines to eradicate lynching /mob violence the State of Uttar Pradesh has failed to apply with the said guidelines in letter and spirit.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi refused to interfere with the Allahabad High Court order which asked the petitioner to approach the state government.

An SLP was filed before the Supreme Court against the decision of Allahabad High Court whereby it had disposed of the Writ Petition filed by Jamait holding that “every incident of mob lynching/ mob violence is a separate incident and it cannot be monitored in a public interest litigation”, which as per Jamiat was neither prayed nor sought by it.

The PIL was filed before the High Court seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer of Inspector General Rank into the lynching of retailers of a meat factory in Aligarh, by a group of 'Cow Vigilantes' who had allegedly by taking law into their hand had stopped the vehicle and demanded money, and on refusal to give any money they removed the clothes of the victims and started to beat them brutally.

Before the High Court, the plea had also sought direction to furnish the circular relating to appointment of Nodal Officers, Designation of Courts/Fast Track Courts, to file circulars and minutes of regular review meetings of Nodal Officers, to file victim compensation scheme framed under section 357-A Cr.P.C. related to the victim of lynching and mob-violence, to take punitive measures/appropriate disciplinary actions against the police officers and officer of the district administration who failed to comply with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in Tahseen S. Poonawal v/s Union of India and others.

Jamiat had also sught a direction for the National Crime Record Bureau (“NCRB”) to report, classify and publish the incidents of mob-lynching or mob-violence cases reported across India on year to year basis along with the compensation for the victims of crime of mob lynching.

In the SLP, the Jamiat stated, "There is no dispute that the act of lynching is unlawful. There cannot be a right higher than the right to live with dignity and further to be treated with humanness that the law provides. No citizen can assault the human dignity of another, but the certain cow vigilante groups took law in their hand, engage himself/themselves in an activity of lynching solely on the basis of a perception that a crime has been committed", and said that the High Court failed to deal with the aforesaid issues raised as the State Government Officials failed to prevent the lynching and mob violence on the ground of religion, caste etc. etc.

Court was further told that instead of registering the FIR against the self styled cow vigilantes the UP Police had registered an FIR against the victims for the offences under section 3 (Prohibition of Cow Slaughter), 5 (Prohibition on Sale of Beef), and 8 (Penalty) of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.

Advocates Syed Ahmed Saud, Daanish Syed, Parvez Dabass, Uzmi Jameel and Seemab Qayyum appeared before court on behalf of Jamiat.

Case Title: JAMIAT ULMA E HIND Vs UNION OF INDIA

Bench: Justices Maheshwari and Bishnoi

Hearing Date: November 3, 2025