The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but it is heartening to note that they do grind. A decade after Mohammed Akhlaq was beaten to death by a mob, allegedly, for storing beef in his home at Bisara village in Dadri, a fast-track court in Surajpur has rejected as baseless the Uttar Pradesh government’s plea to drop the prosecution case against all those accused of the lynching.
The brutal nature of the killing sent shockwaves in the country. Akhlaq and his son Danish were dragged out of their house and beaten by a mob with lathis and sticks in September 2015 after an announcement was made at the local temple that he had slaughtered a calf.
Akhlaq succumbed to his injuries in hospital, while Danish underwent extensive treatment for his critical injuries for several months. More shocking was the silence of the government on the issue.
The Akhlaq case proved to be a defining moment in the communalisation of Indian politics, as, subsequently, there was a rash of killings of Muslims all over the country by cow vigilantes on suspicion of carrying beef. The 2017 lynching of Pehlu Khan in Rajasthan is a case in point.
In the wake of Akhlaq’s killing, Bisada village witnessed sharp polarisation and the two communities, which had hitherto coexisted peacefully, were at daggers drawn. Akhlaq’s family moved out and now lives in Delhi. All the accused are out on bail.
On October 15, the UP government moved a petition to withdraw the prosecution from the case. It cited several reasons, including, allegedly, inconsistent and contradictory statements by Akhlaq’s kin in naming the accused, the failure to seize firearms or sharp weapons from the accused, and the absence of any previous enmity between the accused and the victim.
The government petition stated that while Akhlaq’s wife, Ikraman, had said there were 10 accused, her son had named 14 accused, and her daughter 16. The court rejected the prosecution’s arguments and directed the case to be categorised as ‘most important’ and heard on a daily basis.
Akhlaq’s wife had moved the High Court against the UP government plea but may withdraw her petition following the fast-track court’s order. The court directed the prosecution to record the evidence in the case at the earliest and ensure the safety and security of the witnesses.
The court said murder is a crime, and the state carries out prosecution so that the fear of law remains ingrained in society. It said the prosecution’s arguments were fit to be rejected.
The court’s strong stand is a welcome development in the case that has dragged on for too long. The UP government’s move to withdraw charges against the accused is indeed a complete travesty of the legal system. It is to be hoped that justice will prevail.
