The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre, states and Union Territories on a plea for uniform compensation to all victims of hate crimes irrespective of their religion.

“The trend of awarding compensation to the victims of hate crime/ mob lynching is decided based on the religious affiliation of the victim,” the public interest petitioner, Indian Muslim for Progress and Reforms, a civil society organisation, rued.

“In some cases where the victim belongs to other religious denominations huge compensation is awarded for those losses, while in other cases where the victim belongs to a minority community the compensation is woefully inadequate,” it added, citing an instance from Rajasthan.

The bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and B.V. Nagarathna sought responses to the notices within eight weeks. The various governments have to file affidavits explaining their policies on compensation for hate-crime victims in the light of the Supreme Court’s 2018 directives in the Tehseen Poonawalla case.

Apart from a uniform compensation policy, the petitioner wants the various governments to modify their ex gratia schemes to provide just, fair and reasonable monetary compensation to victims of hate crimes or their families.

The apex court had in the Tehseen Poonawalla case laid down guidelines on how compensation for victims of hate crimes was to be awarded, taking into account the nature of the physical and psychological injuries and loss of earnings.