"It is the duty of the State to maintain law and order, social and pluralistic fabric of the society and the rule of law," bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkqar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said.

Pronouncing the judgment, Chief Justice Misra said that no one can take the law into their own hands or become a law unto himself.

Issuing a slew of directions including preventive, remedial and punitive steps to deal with the crime, the court said that mobocracy will not be allowed.

Asking the Centre to file a compliance report on its directions, the court adjourned the matter to August 20.

Th judgment came on a petition seeking the apex court's intervention to curb the incidents of violence by the vigilante groups across the country.