Beef terror: Tense situation in Dadri as hate-mongers gear up for violence

Greater Noida, Jun 6: Nine months after the Dadri lynching, the situation in Bishada village became tense again today as locals held a protest meeting ignoring prohibitory orders demanding that an FIR be registered against the victim's family for alleged cow slaughter.

The demand was sparked after a controversial forensic report stated that the meat found at the scene of the attack on Mohammad Akhlaq on the night of September 28 following rumours that his family stored and ate beef at their house was that of "cow or its progeny". A clarity was, however, yet to emerge from where exactly the meat was recovered.

The villagers had originally planned to have a maha panchayat to push for registration of the FIR against Akhlaq's family. The protest meeting was also attended by some local level Shiv Sena members, according to the organisers.

District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar NP Singh has clamped Section 144 CrPC and issued prohibitory orders banning gathering of five or more persons in the district after Bishada villagers in Dadri announced panchayat for today and additional security personnel deployed in the village, officials said.

”Situation is under control," District Magistrtae NP Singh said, adding he has appealed to the residents not to resort to violence.

Political leaders should not politicise the matter since it is subjudice. "Let the case proceed in court. They can put their views or evidence before the court. Nobody will be allowed to disturb law and order.”

Sanjay Rana, father of accused Vishal Rana, had threatened that a maha panchayat will be held in the village as police have failed to register an FIR against Akhlaq's family.

"A complaint was filed with police after the forensic report said the meat in the freezer at Akhlaq's house was beef. No FIR has been filed yet in this regard," he said. The report submitted to the fast=track court was prepared by a Mathura-based Forensic lab and it surfaced last week.

The veterinary officer in his preliminary report that was cited by the police earlier had said that the meat sample was not beef, but meat of "goat progeny".

Rana went on to say that a calf had gone missing from the village in September last year and later animal remains were found near Ikhlaq's house. "Then Investigation Officer had taken the photographs of the meat piece and other parts and it was clear that it was calf which was killed. We only want that Ikhlaq's family should be booked for cow slaughtering.”

But Yusuf Saifi, advocate for the victim's family, said, ”meat piece was recovered from the nearby transformer and not from Ikhlaq's house. We will challenge the forensic report too in the court.”

Residents of Bishada village, including kin of the accused in the September 2015 Akhlaq lynching case, yesterday met the Gautam Budh Nagar SSP to press their demand for registration of an FIR against Akhlaq's family after a forensic report stated that the meat found in his house was that of "cow or its progeny".

BJP leader Vinay Katiyar supported the demand for registration of FIR against Akhlaq's family members and demanded that the compensation given to them be withdrawn.

"The question is that cow slaughter had taken place. The report has come and now FIR should be lodged against those involved in cow slaughter. Those who have been locked up in jail should be released. The compensation should be withdrawn. Government should take back the three houses given to them," he said.

The Congress criticised the statements of BJP leaders, saying it will vitiate the atmosphere.

"Calling for maha panchayat and the statements being made after the forensic report came are not proper. Whether it is the Centre or the state government, it should be stopped," Congress leader P L Punia said.