2 Years After Dadri Lynching, All 20 Accused Out on Bail

Two years after his death, Akhlaq’s family yet to get justice.

Fifty five-year-old Akhlaq and his son, Danish, were dragged out of their house on the night of 28 September 2015 in Bisada, Dadri. A mob lynched them to death following an announcement at a temple that his family had consumed beef.

While Danish survived, Akhlaq did not.

The residents of Bisada reportedly acted on a rumour that a calf had gone missing on 16 September, the carcass of which was allegedly found outside Akhlaq’s house. The preliminary forensic report of the meat recovered from Akhlaq’s residence said that it was mutton. The final report from the Central Forensic and Scientific Lab, however, confirmed it was cow meat.

Status of the Case

An FIR was immediately registered after the incident – under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting , armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 458 (house-trespass), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police arrested 20 persons in connection with the case, of which two were minors.

Currently, all the 20 accused are out on bail.

The case was moved to the fast track court, and two years have passed since the incident. Till now, charges have not yet been framed against the accused. Fast track court is meaningless if hearings happen on month gap. 

Mohammad Yusuf Saifi, Danish’s lawyer

Acting on the court’s order, a parallel FIR was lodged against Akhlaq and six members of his family for cow slaughter. The police is still investigating the matter.

We Get Indirect Threats, Says Family

Since the horrible incident, Akhlaq’s family did not return to Bisada. Akhlaq’s other sons, Mohammad Sartaj, is in the Indian Air Force. The family is living the IAF’s accommodation in Subroto Park in Delhi.

Not just his wife and children, Akhlaq’s brother, Jaan Mohammad, too moved out of their ancestral village after the incident.

We fear for our lives as all accused are out on bail. We often get indirect threats from the accused. We don’t know what they want. 

Jaan Mohammad, Akhlaq’s brother 

Akhlaq’s youngest son Danish, who got brutally injured in the incident, is now preparing for Staff Selection Commission exams.

Though after Akhlaq's lynching there haven’t been other instances of violences in Dadri, the tension is still tangible. Following the incident, several Muslim families have migrated out of the village.

Meanwhile, the Akhlaq’s family still awaits justice.