Power, Prejudice and Opportunism: Tracing Vigilante Crimes and Social Harm in India

Abstract Vigilante violence in India has become a pressing challenge rooted in social inequality and institutional fragility. This article explores mob lynching and related vigilante crimes through the lens of social harm and human rights, analyzing how insecurity, entrenched prejudice and deceptive narratives fuel acts of extralegal justice against marginalized communities. It focuses on forms of vigilantism culminating in lynching, revealing their profound and enduring impact on vulnerable populations. The normalization of such violence reflects a potent combination of power, opportunism and bias that deepens existing social hierarchies. The analysis emphasizes two key dimensions: the inadequacy of state responses and the role of digital disinformation in amplifying fear and legitimizing collective violence. Adopting a social harm framework, the article examines the broader consequences of vigilante justice for public trust, social cohesion and human rights protections. Drawing on historical and contemporary evidence, it demonstrates how cultural representations, economic interests and media narratives converge to sustain vigilantism, exposing the paradox of community-endorsed violence that both defies legal order and perpetuates social division.