TIA NEWS
In a shocking ruling, a court in Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday ordered the registration of an FIR against the relatives of Mohammad Akhlaq for alleged cow slaughter.
“Judicial Magistrate Vijay Kumar acting on application moved under 156(3) CrPC for registration of a case, has ordered investigation and lodging of an FIR of cow slaughter against Akhlaq’s family,” said D S R Tripathi, Senior Prosecution Officer.
In September last year, Akhlaq was lynched by a violent mob on suspicion that his family stored and consumed beef in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.
Residents of Bishada village in Dadri had met the Gautam Budh Nagar SSP on June 5 to press their demand for registration of an FIR against Mohammad Akhlaq’s family for alleged cow slaughter, following which he had ordered a probe into the charge.
After a recent forensic report said the meat found in a dustbin outside Akhlaq’s home was beef or the meat of “a cow or its progeny”, a big meeting or mahapanchayat was held at the village, in which there were calls for action against Akhlaq’s family.
Villagers in Dadri had demanded charges against Mohammad Akhlaq’s family at a mahapanchayat in June.
Beef eating is not a crime in Uttar Pradesh but cow slaughter is a non-bailable offence that carries a punishment of up to seven years in jail.
Local BJP leader Sanjay Rana, whose son was among 18 arrested for Akhlaq’s murder, exulted in the court decision.
A forensic lab is reported to have said that the meat found in Akhlaq’s home was beef.
“On October 8, 2015, we had sent the copy of the complaint to SSP, DIG and other senior officials requesting that an FIR be lodged for cow slaughter against Akhlaq’s family. Then we had moved an application before the judicial magistrate’s court under CrPC 156(3) for issuing directions to police to lodge the FIR,” said advocate B R Sharma.
Sanjay Rana, the father of one of the accused, said, “The court has rightly ordered lodging of the FIR. The UP government was taking one-sided action. Now the court order has provided justice to other side too.