11 Gau Rakshaks get life for lynching

In the first such sentencing, 11 ‘gau rakshaks’ in Jharkhand have been awarded life sentence for a lynching incident.

Alimuddin alias Asgar Ansari was suspected of transporting beef in a Maruti van. A group of people intercepted his vehicle, brutally attacked him and set his van on fire. Police personnel rescued him and took him to a hospital where he died during the course of treatment.

A video of the assault also went viral, which showed the attackers beating Ansari -- with the car ablaze in the background.

Significantly, the conviction has taken place within six months of the incident. The fast-track court had convicted 11 of the 12 accused, including a

BJP district media incharge, and a few members of the local gau raksha samiti on March 16.

The prosecution lawyer had prayed for capital punishment describing the offence as the 'rarest of rare;' the defence counsel appealed for leniency on the ground that it was their first criminal case.

Welcoming the decision, Shahzad Ansari, Alimuddin’s son, told a news portal: “We are very happy with the decision. Those who did this got what they deserved. We hope that the higher courts uphold this decision. We are also happy that the decision has come in a short time.”

In the last four years, nearly 28 people have been killed, while 124 have been injured in cow related violence across the country. Taking note of this, the Supreme Court, in a September 2017 order, said that “each state should appoint a police officer in each district as a nodal officer to take strict action against cow vigilantism.”