NEW DELHI: The newly elected Kamal Nath-led Congress government is all set to frame a law to curb mob lynchings in Madhya Pradesh in the name of cow. The Indian Express sources say that the government has proposed to amend the anti-cow slaughter to make it a punishable offence. It is also reported that punishment could be three years for the first offence and five years for subsequent offences.

The Indian Express also report also says that the cabinet is likely to clear the amendment at its meeting today.

Various incidents of mob lynching which mostly happen over cow protection have been reported across the country recently. Currently, these offences are dealt under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Last year in July, Supreme Court had asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to become a new norm.

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

The bench asked the legislature to consider enacting a new penal provision to deal with offences of mob violence and provide deterrent punishment to such offenders.

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