Vishal Rana, 20, is the main accused in the mob killing of a man in Uttar Oradesh's Dadri over rumours that he had killed a cow and eaten beef

In the lynch mob that killed Mohammad Akhlaq in a village near Delhi on Monday over rumours that he had killed a cow and eaten beef, was an assortment of school dropouts, graduates, a lab tech student and job seekers, none with any crime record.Seven of the accused are reportedly related to local BJP leader Sanjay Rana.The main accused Vishal Rana, 20, is the son of Sanjay Rana. He allegedly organised the meeting in which the mob was incited to attack the Akhlaq family. Vishal stopped studying after class 12, reportedly because he was unwell, and now works at his brother-in-law's advertising agency in South Delhi.Brothers Vivek, 22, and Sachin, 20, are also related to Mr Rana. They help their father Om Kumar with his electricity appliances repair business.Four more accused, Saurabh, Gaurav, Shivam and Sandeep are reportedly related to the BJP leader.Saurabh, 21, and Gaurav, 22, are brothers; their father Dheeraj Singh is a contractor. Saurabh was looking for a job while Gaurav has completed graduation and recently started studying law.Shivam, 19, the son of a farmer, is in the second year of his Medical Lab Technology degree course.Sandeep, 18, has just completed school. His father is an accountant at a brick kiln.Shri Om, 20, and Hari Om, 23, also brothers, work in a private factory. Hari Om is married.Rupendra, 23, is in college. His father is a retired army man who now works as a guard.All the accused are neighbours in the Bisara village.On Monday evening, they were allegedly part of the large mob that attacked Akhlaq after an announcement at a temple that a calf had been killed. Akhlaq died on the spot and his son was severely injured.On Sunday, controversial BJP lawmaker Sangeet Som met their families and vowed to get bail for them. Mr Som, who is out on bail on charges of inciting riots in 2013 in Muzaffarnagar, also in Uttar Pradesh, threatened a "befitting reply if innocents are framed".