India again firmly in the limelight, for the wrong reason.
By Dileep Thekkethil
The Uttar Pradesh government is once again on the defensive for mismanagement of law and order situation as a mob in Greater Noida lynched a 58-year old Muslim man to death and injured his son after rumors spread that he allegedly stored and consumed beef. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 10 lakh for the family of the deceased.
Mohammad Akhlaq was kicked and beaten with stones by the mob on Monday morning in Bisada village of Greater Noida and the government has ordered senior superintendent of police and the district magistrate to give police protection to the family of the deceased. They have also put the village and surrounding areas on high alert to avoid any untoward incident.
After the killing, fear spread across the village and nearby areas as another group of the infuriated mob took to the street and unleashed violence demanding capital punishment for those involved in the alleged slaughter of a cow. The police had to resort to batons to disperse the mob. Later, six suspects involved in the murder were arrested by the police.
Gautam Budh Nagar SSP, Kiran S said during a press conference, “Around 800 armed forces, including a battalion of Provincial Armed Constabulary and police from Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Hapur, have been deployed in the village and the areas around it.”
The bereaved family members of Iqlakh have denied the rumor that he slaughtered a cow. They claimed that the rumor was part of a conspiracy and said their house is too small to slaughter a cow. The family also confirmed that they had stored mutton in their fridge and not beef. Police have taken the samples of the meat for testing.
As per Hindu religious tradition, the cow is considered as a sacred animal and is worshipped along with many other gods. Some Indian states, including the state of Utter Pradesh, have banned the sale and consumption of beef.
The family also alleged that neither the neighbor nor the police reached the spot on time to rescue Iqlakh. He lived with his 70-year old mother, 52-year old wife, younger son Danish (21) and daughter Sahita (16). Danish also came under the attack of the mob and is currently in the hospital after suffering serious injuries. Iqlakh also has an elder son Sartaz who is currently in Chennai working with Indian Air Force.
Akhlaq’s daughter Sajida said “My father was taken outside the house and beaten to death. My brother was dragged to the courtyard downstairs and they used bricks to hit him on the head and chest, leaving him unconscious. They also tried to molest me and hit my grandmother on her face. They threatened to kill me if I said a word to the police.”
The mother added, “The attack continued for nearly half an hour, but no one came to our rescue. They brutally thrashed my son and grandson. They then dragged my son’s body to the road and fled after dumping it there.”
According to the post-mortem report of Iqlakh, he died due to severe blood loss and haemorrhage. Police have registered an FIR against 10 people out of which 6 people have been nabbed by the police. The arrested have been identified as Rupinder, Vivek, Sree Om, Sandeep, Saurabh and Gaurav, all in their late 20s.