One Year Later, No Evidence of Cow Slaughter by Akhlaq and Family

The police has said it has found no evidence to prove Akhlaq and family slaughtered a cow.

A file photo of Akhlaq’s relatives mourning his death at his home. (Photo: PTI)

A year after Mohammad Akhlaq was killed outside his home in Dadri by an angry mob for allegedly storing beef, officials investigating the case have concluded that there was no evidence to prove that Akhlaq and his family slaughtered a cow.

The police is likely to close the case and file a closure report in the Surajpur court, after almost three months when the court had ordered an FIR against Akhlaq and his family under the UP Cow Slaughter Act 1955, as reported by The Hindu.

The FIR against them was based on a petition filed by one of the neighbours in their village Bishahra in Dadri. The petition, backed by those accused of Akhlaq’s murder, alleged that his family had killed a calf and his brother Jaan Mohammad was seen slitting its throat.

It says that the scream of a calf was heard from Akhlaq’s house on Eid in September last year and named Akhlaq, his brother, mother, wife, daughter and son for the cow slaughter.

The police officials, however, said that no element of animal blood was found in the soil collected by the forensic team in the entire area.

There is no credible evidence in this case which takes us towards the side of arrest or charge sheet. Had there been even one solid shred of proof, we would have filed the charge sheet. 

Anurag Singh, Circle Officer of the area told <i>The Hindu</i>

He added that the main evidences required to be charged under the Act, such as knives used to slaughter, carcass or meat of the cow and its blood, were all missing.

The police also highlighted that there were loopholes in the complaint filed against the family. The family had also alleged that a fabricated case of cow slaughter was registered only to pressurise the victims and neutralise Akhlaq’s murder case.

(With inputs from The Hindu.)