DADRI (NOIDA, UP ): In an other most ghastly incident in Uttar Pradesh, an elderly Muslim man was beaten to death by a communally charged mob on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday night, over rumours that he had eaten beef.
The UP government on Wednesday announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the family of a 58-year-old man who was allegedly beaten to death and his son injured by a mob following rumours that their family was involved in the slaughter of a cow.
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the victim.
He also instructed the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police, Noida to provide full protection to the family of the victim.
Massive security has been deployed in the village following tension in the area.
Mohammad Ikhlaq and his 22-year-old son were dragged from their house by around 100 villagers in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and beaten with bricks. Ikhlaq’s son is in critical condition.
Half an hour before the attack, an announcement was allegedly made at a temple nearby that a calf had been slaughtered and its carcass had been found near a transformer.
No names were taken in the announcement, but there are only two Muslim families in the area and the other family was out.
At around 10.30 pm, a large mob allegedly descended on Ikhlaq’s house, wrecked everything and even attacked his wife and 70-year-old mother.
“My husband’s head was smashed in,” said Ikhlaq’s wife.
The men were still being beaten when the police arrived. Six young men were arrested from the spot. The police say they were all drunk and picked up stones to beat Ikhlaq.
Ikhlaq’s daughter said they only had mutton in their fridge, a gift from relatives on Eid. The police say they have taken the meat and sent it for forensic testing.
The police are investigating who started the rumours in a part of western Uttar Pradesh that is prone to trouble at the slightest provocation.
News of the arrests led to tension in the area as villagers clashed with the police, allegedly forcing them to fire in the air. Villagers have claimed that a boy was injured in the firing.
Family members of Iqlakh, the murdered Bisada villager, denied slaughtering any cow in their small house and claimed the story was cooked up to target them. They also claimed neither the cops reached on time nor their neighbours came to their rescue. Ikhlakh lived there with his 70-year-old mother Asgari, 52-year-old wife Ikraman, younger son Danish (21) and daughter Sahista (16). His elder son Sartaz works with the Indian Air Force and is currently posted in Chennai. Danish suffered serious injuries in the attack.
As various accounts swirled on social media, the district administration warned trouble-makers. “If a digital war against communal harmony is initiated then the guilty will be punished. But our first concern is to stop any such thing and we are working on it,” said NP Singh, the district magistrate.
Police said that Ikhlaq’s body has been handed over to his family after an autopsy, the report of which suggested that he died due to severe blood loss and haemmorage. He also said an FIR had been filed against 10 people, six of whom were nabbed and put behind bars. They have been identified as Rupender, Vivek, Sree Om, Sandeep, Saurabh and Gaurav, all in their late 20s.
Photo Courtesy: Indian Express