AGENCIES /NEW DELHI
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday filed a fresh status report in the Supreme Court regarding its investigation in the Hapur lynching case of June 2018 when 45-year-old Mohammad Qasim died while 65-year-old Samiuddin survived brutal assault.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, to hand over the copy of the status report to Adv. Vrinda Grover, counsel of the petitioner. The court asked the petitioner to file response within a week.
“She (petitioner’s counsel) may file her response to the same within a week. List the matter on May 9,” said the court.
In June 2018, Qasim was killed and another was brutally assaulted in the garb of cow vigilantism. On April 8 this year, the top court had directed the state government to file a status report into the investigations.
Last year in September, the court had directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Meerut to monitor the investigation into the case.
— Incident took place on June 18, 2018 in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh
— A mob of self-styled cow vigilantes lynched Mohammad Qasim, 45, while Samiuddin, 65, survived the assault
— The mob assaulted them falsely accusing them of cow slaughter
— The local police initially termed it a case of road rage but changed the story after a video of the assault surfaced wherein the attackers were forcing the victim survivor to accept cow slaughter charge
Samiuddin filed a petition seeking setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for fair investigation into the mob lynching on the pretext of cow smuggling in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
The plea said that Samiuddin and Qasim, who died in the incident, were mercilessly assaulted by a mob of a community from the neighbouring village.
Taking action on the erring police personnel, the government told the court that it has transferred the SHO concerned and challenged bail granted to the accused in the case.