Legal analysis: Why mob punishments violate Indian law

Indian constitutional law expressly forbids private individuals or groups from imposing punishments without judicial authority. Under the Bihar Non‑Cognizable Offences Act, any act of kidnapping, assault, or tying a person to an object is a criminal offence. The POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act further protect minors from physical and psychological abuse, making the actions seen in Jamui and Koderma unequivocally illegal. Only a competent court can pronounce guilt and determine penalty; any parallel ‘court’ operated by a mob constitutes a clear breach of due process and can attract charges of unlawful restraint, assault and intimidation.