Dadri Lynching: Akhlaq Confessed to Killing Calf, Says Complainant

Seven members of Akhlaq’s family, including him, are charged under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act 1955.

The judgment of Surajpur court (UP), ordering police to lodge an FIR against Mohammad Akhlaq’s family members for alleged cow slaughter, sent shock waves across the country. The Quint has accessed a copy of the FIR which names seven members of Akhlaq’s family, including him. All seven are now charged under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act 1955.

Akhlaq’s son Danish, who was also beaten by the mob that killed Akhlaq, denies the accusations.

My father was murdered and I was brutally beaten up by some people of Bisada. All allegations against me and my family are false. We never slaughtered a cow. 

Danish, Akhlaq’s son

The court ordered the FIR on the basis of the application filed by Surajpal, a resident of Bisada village. The complainant, Surajpal, is a senior citizen of Bisada village who claims that Akhlaq confessed to cow slaughter. The six-page FIR narrates the events as Surajpal remembers them.

Akhlaq ne kaha ki humse bohot badi galti ho gayi hai, maaf kardo. Eid par bachade ki kurbani kar di hai. Jis meat ke avshesh ko fridge se nikal kar laye ho, wo usi bachade ka hai jise gaon walo ne chhoda tha (Akhlaq said “I made a big mistake, forgive me. A calf was sacrificed for Eid, the piece of meat in the fridge that you’ve brought is from the same calf that the villagers had left”).

Excerpt from FIR

The FIR also mentions that Akhlaq was later lynched by the mob.

Iss baat ko sun kar (the confession of killing the calf) moke par ekatrit bheed bekabo ho gayi aur Akhlaq ke saath maarpeth karni shuru kar di [...] jisse Akhlaq aur Danish ko chot aayi. Police upchar ke liye Akhlaq ko aspatal le gayi. Upchar ke doran Kailash aspatal main Akhlaq ki dinak (29 September 2015) ko mrityu ho gayi. (The mob became agitated when they heard Akhlaq’s confession. They started beating him. Both Akhlaq and Danish got injured. Police took them to hospital for treatment. Akhlaq died on 29 September 2015 in Kailash Hospital.)

Excerpt from FIR

Interestingly, Surajpal acknowledges that he witnessed the mob assaulting Akhlaq and his family, even as he protests the innocence of the accused.

Mukadme (Akhlaq’s murder case) mein nirdosh ladko ko jhoota bandh kar aaropit kar diya gaya hai. (Innocents have been falsely accused and incarcerated in this case)

Excerpt from FIR

This begs the question; If Surajpal claims that the accused in Akhlaq’s murder are innocent, and he – a long-time village resident who likely knew the identities of his neighbours – witnessed the mob lynching him, then why hasn’t he named the real perpetrators?

Is it possible that he is simply protecting the accused?

Villagers Had ‘Aastha’ in the Calf: Surajpal

In the FIR, Surajpal says that the villagers had ‘aastha’ in the calf, held it sacred, and regularly fed it food. Since it was the only calf in the village, he said, everybody knew it.

Humare gaon Bisada main bachada rehta tha jisse gaon ke logon ki aastha judi huyi thi. Gaon ke log aate ki goli aur roti khilate the (The calf that lived in our village Bisada was held sacred by the residents, who used to feed it regularly).

Excerpt from FIR

But what does it mean that the calf was being fed regularly? After all, would it make any sense to raise a calf in the village only to leave it to starve? Being a majority Hindu village, it’s reasonable enough to assume that the calf was revered, but would this excuse murder?

According to Surajpal, a few witnesses saw Akhlaq and his family slaughtering the calf.

Prem Singh ne Eid wale din hi samay kareeb 12:30 baje Akhlaq ke bhai ke bandh pade makaan se bachade ke rambhane ki aawaz suni toh Prem Singh ne Madan Singh ke makaan ke samne gali se dekha ki Akhlaq, Asgari, Ikraman, Danish, Kumari Sayasta ne bachade ko jo gaon me ghoomta tha, ko girakar pakad rakha hai aur Jaan Mohammad ne apne haath main liye chure se uss bachade ki gardan kaat raha tha (On Eid, around 12:30 pm, Prem Singh heard the scream of a calf from the house of Akhlaq’s brother. Prem Singh witnessed Akhlaq, his mother Asgari, his wife Ikraman, his son Danish and his daughter Sayasta holding the calf, which was lying on the floor. Akhlaq’s brother Jaan Mohammad then slaughtered the calf with a knife).

Excerpt from FIR

Akhlaq’s family, however, denies these allegations.

I don’t stay in Bisada village. All these allegations are false. No one from the police has contacted me so far. We have faith in the judiciary and are hoping for a fair investigation.

Jaan Mohammad, Akhlaq’s brother

Akhlaq’s family’s lawyer says that he will appeal to the District Court to revise its order to register the FIR. The UP police is likely to record Surajpal’s statement and then approach Akhlaq’s family members for their version of events.

The case of cow slaughter against Akhlaq’s family only stands if the meat in Akhlaq’s fridge was in fact found to be beef. There are two conflicting reports to this end. The first stated that the meat was mutton, not beef, and a subsequent report states that it was indeed beef. However, questions have been raised about the authenticity and reliability of this second report.

The FIR made by Surajpal seems to substantiate the cow slaughter case, but it may not be quite so straightforward.

Questions remain about the legitimacy of the cow slaughter claims, and Surajpal’s FIR seems to raise more doubts than it dispels.

Read The Quint’s coverage of the case:

The Dadri Truth: A Personal Grudge Twisted Into a Communal Killing
Exclusive: Akhlaq’s Family Pressurised to Drop Dadri Lynching Case
Dadri Lynching: It’s Beef, But Not From Akhlaq’s Fridge