Dadri: Court orders FIR against Akhlaq’s family

The court has ordered that seven members of Akhlaq’s family be booked under relevant sections of the IPC. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh. “In view of the Sujarpur court’s order, Jarcha Police have been asked to register a case against seven family members,” Gautam Buddh Nagar SSP Dharmendra Singh confirmed media.

In September last year Akhlaq (52) was beaten to death and his son Danish injured after being dragged out of their homes in Bisada following rumours that he and his family had stored and consumed beef. A few days later, Danish was also beaten brutally by the mob when the family was attacked. The terrorised family left the village and is living in Delhi, along with Akhlaq’s older son, an Air Force technician.

A forensic report in May this year said that 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. Later, the accused in the murder approached the court seeking FIR against Akhlaq’s family in view of the report that confirmed that the meat sample taken was beef and not that of goat, as suggested earlier.

The petition, filled by the accused persons, had alleged that his family had killed a calf and that his brother Jaan Mohammad was seen slitting the throat of the animal. The villagers claimed that Akhlaq and his son Danish were also seen beating the calf.

Rajeev Tyagi, lawyer of petitioner Surajpal Singh, said that he had named seven persons — Akhlaq, his wife Ikraman, mother Asghari, brother Jaan Mohammad, daughter Shaishta, son Danish in the complaint. Sona, wife of Jafaruddin, brother of Akhlaq, was also named in the complaint. Tyagi said that he had earlier approached the police but they had refused to register FIR. “We are happy that the court has ordered police to register FIR,” he said. Yusuf Saifi, lawyer of Akhlaq family, however, said that he would challenge the order in High Court.