FIR filed against Akhlaq family
Mother, daughter and 5 others named over allegation of cow slaughter
Lucknow: The district court of Gautam Budh Nagar on Thursday asked the police to file an FIR for alleged cow slaughter against the family of Mohammed Akhlaq, murdered over allegations of cow slaughter in Dadri.
The district court of Gautam Budh Nagar Thursday asked the police to file an FIR for alleged cow slaughter against Mohammad Akhlaq’ family, murdered over allegation of cow slaughter in Dadri.
“Judicial magistrate Vijay Kumar, acting on an application moved under 156( 3) CrPC for registration of a case, has ordered investigation and lodging of an FIR on cow slaughter against Akhlaq’s family,” D. S. R. Tripathi, senior prosecution officer, said. The court ordered filing of the FIR under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. The FIR is against the slain Akhlaq and six of his family members.
Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in September 2015 for allegedly consuming and storing beef. In the incident at Bisada village in Dadri, Akhlaq was killed on the spot while his son Danish was seriously injured. In June, a forensic report from a laboratory in Mathura declared that the meat found in the victim’s house was of a cow or a calf. A group of Bisada residents, led by Surajpal Singh, had then moved an application in court under Section 156( 3) of CrPC with a request to direct the police to lodge an FIR.
Rajeev Tyagi, the lawyer of Surajpal Singh, said that he had named seven persons — Mohd Akhlaq, his wife Ikraman, mother Asghari, brother Jaan Mohammad, daughter Shaishta and son Danish in the complaint. Sona, wife of Akhlaq’s brother Jafaruddin, was also named in the complaint.
Yusuf Saifi, lawyer of Mohd Akhlaq’s family said that he would challenge the order in a higher court. “All the accused persons have admitted to their roles in Akhlaq’s murder. We will challenge the order in a higher court,” he told reporters.
Jaan Mohammad, Akhlaq’s brother, said the registration of the FIR was a setback. He said that the family was ready for a fair probe. He denied the allegation that the family had slaughtered a cow and questioned how the meat sample, which was earlier tested as goat meat, turned into cow meat after nine months.
“The accused have been mounting pressure on us to withdraw the case. We have faith in the judiciary and government. We hope justice will be delivered,” he said.
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 the other side too.”