ANDALIB AKHTER / NEW DELHI /
INDIAN AIR FORCE, IAF, has taken serious note of the killing of father of one of its personnel in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and assured the family of the victim to move to a safer place.
The words comes from none other than, IAF chief Air Marshal Arup Raha who termed the incident as “unfortunate” and said IAF officers were in touch with the family.
Son’s valiant patriotism and display of commitment to the service of motherland could not help his 58-year-old father survive the “onslaught” of communalists who took offence on the old man’s for rumour that he ate beef in UP. Incident happened on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday night, over rumours that he had eaten beef.
The victim Mohammad Ikhlaq’s elder son Sartaj works with the Indian Air Force and is currently posted in Chennai.
“We are trying to move the air warrior’s family out of the place, to a secure air force area,” he said.
“It was an unfortunate incident, for anyone, especially a serving air force personnel. Senior air force officers are in touch with the family of the air warrior and providing help,” the IAF chief said at a press conference in New Delhi.
The IAF chief said they have been in touch with the district administration but ruled out writing to the state or central government on the issue.
“We are in touch with the district authorities. There is no need to write additionally,” he said.
Raha said he will also try to meet the family.
On September 28, 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq, a resident of Bisara village of Dadri in Greater Noida, near Delhi, was dragged out of his home and lynched following rumours that his family ate beef.
Akhlaq’s eldest son, Sartaj, is with the IAF. The dead man’s family has denied killing a cow. It said that the victim only ate mutton.