Lynching refers to premeditated, collective, violence against individuals, generally resulting in death. Lynching in India is often organised using social media platforms, especially WhatsApp and facebook, and disproportionately affects, Muslims, Dalits, and other marginalised communities. The perpetrators are often associated with Hindutva organisations and causes.
The majority of reported lynchings in India have been cow-related: individuals have been lynched on suspicion of cow slaughter, eating beef or trafficking cattle. However, other motives for lynching also exist - for example, rumours about child abduction have led to several lynchings.
There is often police complicitly in the lynchings: according to Human Rights Watch, in many cases police "stall investigations, ignore procedures, file criminal cases against witnesses to harass and intimidate them, and even cover up to protect perpetrators". Although government data has not been made available, it is generally accepted that there has been a sharp rise in lynching under the Narendra Modi government.
References:
• The report WhatsApp Vigilantes: An exploration of citizen reception and circulation of WhatsApp misinformation linked to mob violence in India (pdf) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
• Posts tagged lynching on Narendra Modi Facts.