On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas on “reopening Day itself”, accusing Christian institutions and priests of increasing attacks across the country and seeking to implement earlier Supreme Court guidelines to curb hate crimes.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves said there are an average of 45 to 50 violent attacks against Christian institutions and pastors annually across the country. He added that in May, 57 incidents of violence and attacks against Christian institutions and pastors took place.

The relief sought includes enforcing the guidelines issued in the Tehseen Poonawala judgement in which nodal officers are appointed to document hate crimes and register FIRs nationwide.

The bench directed the Supreme Court registry to list petitions to reopen the courthouse after the July 11 summer break.

In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a series of guidelines for the centre and states. These include expedited trials, victim compensation, deterrent penalties and lenient disciplinary action for law enforcement officials. The court said offences such as hate crimes, cow vigilantism and lynching should be nipped in the bud.

States should designate a senior police officer no less than a superintendent to serve as the nodal officer in each district, adding that these officers would form a task force with a DSP officer to assist in measures to prevent mob violence and lynching.

The court said the state government should immediately identify areas, subdivisions and villages where recent lynchings and mob violence have occurred.