Lynching is a type of collective violence in which a group of individuals circumvent the legal process to punish individuals for real or imagined crimes. The main driving factor here is anonymity of the mob, rather than recognition of the individual. It is manifestation of collective violence perpetrated outside the
boundaries of official governmental authority. In recent times, there has been a spate of lynching across the country based on issues having capacity to evoke extreme emotional reactions.

(a) Specific socio-psychological factors that facilitate individual participation in mob violence and lower prohibitions against violent behavior :

Social:

Stereotypes and prejudices: developed through child rearing practices, peer effect, social separation and ideological disparity preface such behavior.
General perception of justice system as slow and ineffective: It strengthens the idea that people should take justice into their own hands.
Atmosphere of hate and suspicion against certain sections, created through sustained socio-political campaign.
False belief of threat to one’s culture or community by the out-group strengthened by systematic incitement.
Immunity and patronage from those in power.
Vulnerability to misinformation: Often participants in lynch mobs are youth who are un/underemployed and less/uneducated who can be easily swayed.
Decline in human values like compassion and empathy makes committing such dastardly act as remorseless.

Psychological:

• Deindividuation: participants feel released from normal constraints on their behavior when individual identity diffuses into larger collective identity combined with anonymity.
• A sense of excitement and novelty due to break from routine as well as sense of belongingness to a group.
• A sense of release for a more generalized hostility and a false sense of empowerment owing to sense of, domination, and supremacy.
• Infectious sentiments of mob which can easily arouse and stimulate emotions of an individual.

(b) Repeated occurrences will have following implications for society:

• Weakening of Rule of Law: as people may lose faith in the power and authority of state.
• Social injustice: Most victims are poor and marginalized and their death further accentuates poverty and deprivation of their families.
• Perpetuates hatred and is against unity and cohesiveness of society.
• Breeds anarchy: Instigates a cycle of violence and counter-violence.
• Promotes terrorism and crime: Instills fear and sense of alienation in certain groupsmaking them an easy fodder for terrorist and criminal organizations.
• Reduces accountability of government: Since people’s attention is diverted to emotional issues, government’s accountability is reduced.
• Negative impact on socio-economic growth by negatively affecting business and investment sentiments.

(c) Lynch mobs are mobilized through misinformation which travels like a wildfire, enabled by social media. Spread of fake news has been particularly pernicious in India where new inexperienced smartphone users send billions of messages a day on WhatsApp, which has more than 200 million
users in country. Since, it’s difficult to trace origin of such messages; anonymous individuals with vested interests get away repeatedly after spreading such lies. Further, people cannot verify rumors and most of the times such messages are impregnated with doctored photographs, making people
gullible to them.

As a law enforcement officer following steps can be taken to fight the menace:

• A clear message should be sent that charges of ‘murder’ will be framed against all those who participate in lynchings will act as a deterrent. In fact, the Section 302 of IPC does not restrict the charge of murder to one person who carries out the act – it is equally applicable to everyone who aids and abets murder as well.
• Directing social media companies that forwarded messages should be tagged with the originating number, to make it easier to crack down on misuse and discourage users from creating malicious content.
• Group administrators to be held liable for activities on their group and action they took to prevent misuse of group.
• Immediate arrest of anybody involved in malafide rumor mongering.
• Counter the misinformation by aggressive campaigning on social media and local TV channels. Citizen groups on social media could be made that will alert about any rumor mongering to both the people and authorities.
• Employ methods such as hiring street performers, reaching out to Panchayats, NGOs, SHGs, schools, colleges etc. to spread public awareness.
• Promote awareness about sites and links that help to identify hoax.

Conclusion :

“Mobocracy” as called by Supreme Court while providing guidelines to the government against lynch mobs, is a threat to democratic and social stability. It is an attack on constitutional values and must be dealt with firmness by all stakeholders including all tiers and branches of government, media, social
media companies and citizens.