Question Details

Tension prevailed in the Jawahar area in Palghar district after three Mumbai residents, travelling in a Ford Ecosport to Silvassa, were allegedly lynched late on Thursday night. The Kasa police said the incident occurred near Gadakchinchale village under their jurisdiction.

Information received by us indicates that the three occupants of the SUV hailed form Kandivali in Mumbai and were going to attend a funeral in Silvassa,‖ Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh, Palghar police said. A large mob of villagers surrounded the car within a matter of minutes and started attacking it with sticks, irons rods and their bare hands, leading to the death of all three occupants. ―One of our patrolling vehicles later spotted the severely injured trio lying on the road and stopped to find out the matter. However, our team was also attacked by the mob and the vehicle pelted with stones. Our personnel had to flee and were unable to rescue to the victims, ‖ an officer with the Kasa police said. A wireless alert was sent out later apprising all police stations and units of the incident following which reinforcements were sent to the village and a combing operation was undertaken. ―Prima facie information indicates that the trio were mistaken for thieves and attacked. The villagers were on edge due to the ongoing lockdown and unavailability of essential supplies. For the past few days, several rumours have been doing the rounds on social media about thieves and dacoits targetting villages on the highway. As a result, villagers have been patrolling the highway and stopping late night travellers on suspicion,‖ the officer said.

Which of the following statement justifies the criminalisation of mob lynching as a distinct offence apart from ‗Murder‘?

Options

A

The offence of Murder is committed by a single individual or a group but mob lynching involves a large group of individuals.

B

When violence is committed by a mob it creates a situation of terror and anarchy having potential to disturb the public peace for a longer period.

C

Mob lynching is an offence which supports the idea of ‗might is right‘, and cannot be accepted in a democratic society.

D

All of the above.

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option D

All of the above.

Solution :

The correct answer is All of the above.

Mob lynching differs significantly from simple homicide or murder due to its collective, public, and systemic nature. The criminalisation of mob lynching as a distinct statutory offence apart from 'Murder' is justified on several grounds:
1. Involvement of Large Groups: While the traditional offence of murder may involve one or a small group of individuals, mob lynching involves a large, unstructured, and anonymous mass of people. This makes intent, individual culpability, and prosecution under standard murder laws uniquely complex.
2. Terror, Anarchy, and Threat to Public Order: Acts of mob violence create widespread terror, panic, and lawlessness in society, disrupting public peace and public order for extended periods, far beyond the scope of an isolated murder.
3. Undermining Rule of Law: Mob lynching reinforces the dangerous principle of 'might is right' and vigilante justice, bypassing the judicial mechanism. Such behavior fundamentally violates democratic values and constitutional principles.

Therefore, all the given statements provide valid justifications for categorising and punishing mob lynching as a separate and distinct criminal offence.

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  • CLAT
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