Not happy. Ready for fair probe: Family

Dadri lynching: Court orders FIR against Akhlaq’s kin for alleged cow slaughter

GREATER NOIDA: Surajpur court on Thursday ordered Jarcha police to register FIR against seven members of Akhlaq family for alleged cow slaughter . District chief judicial magistrate Vijay Kumar ordered the police to register an FIR and investigate the matter.The order comes after a group of Bisada residents moved an application in the court under Section 156(3) of CrPC with a request to direct the police to lodge an FIR. The villagers, headed by Surajpal Singh (65), had filed a complaint based on the forensic report, which says the flesh was of cow or its progeny."Judicial Magistrate Vijay Kumar, acting on application moved under 156(3) CrPC for registration of a case, has ordered investigation and lodging of an FIR of cow slaughter against Akhlaq's family," said D S R Tripathi, Senior Prosecution Officer.SSP Dharmendra Yadav had said a case will be registered against the family only if the charge that the meat found in Akhlaq's home was beef was found to be true.Akhlaq was killed by a mob on September 29 last year on the suspicion that his family stored and consumed beef at their home.Rajeev Tyagi, lawyer of Surajpal Singh, said that he had named seven persons – Akhlaq, his wife Ikraman, mother Asghari, brother Jaan Mohammad, daughter Shaishta, son Danish in the complaint. Sona, wife of Jafaruddin, brother of Akhlaq, was also named in the complaint.Tyagi said that he had earlier approached the police but they had refused to register FIR. “We are happy that the court has ordered police to register FIR,” he said.Yusuf Saifi, lawyer of Akhlaq family, however, said that he would challenge the order in higher court. “All the accused persons have admitted their roles in Akhlaq murder. We will challenge the order in higher court,” Saifi said."On October 8, 2015, we had sent the copy of the complaint to SSP, DIG and other senior officials requesting that an FIR be lodged for cow slaughter against Akhlaq's family. Then we had moved an application before the judicial magistrate's court under CrPC 156(3) for issuing directions to police to lodge the FIR," said advocate B R Sharma.Sanjay Rana, the father of one of the accused, said, "The court has rightly ordered lodging of the FIR. The UP government was taking one-sided action. Now the court order has provided justice to other side too."Akhlaq’s family said they were unhappy with the court order. Jaan Mohammad, Akhlaq’s brother, said that the family is ready for a fair probe. “We came to know that the court has ordered for registration of an FIR against our family. We are ready for the probe,” he said.Jaan Mohammad denied the allegation that the family had slaughter a cow. "The accused’s family claims that I killed a cow in my home. In fact, I had rented my home to a local named Swami. I live in Dadri and I was not at home. The officials can put my mobile phone on electronic surveillance to gather the information," he said.Asked if the registration of a case was a setback to him, he said, "Yes, it is."He also questioned how the meat sample which was earlier tested as goat meat turned cow after nine months. "The accused's family members approached me and mounted pressure to withdraw case. When we refused, they approached court for a counter FIR against our family. We have faith in judiciary and government. We hope justice will be delivered," he said. He said that that the family is apprehensive that the matter will be politicized for vested interest.On the night of September 28, 2015, a mob of locals had attacked Akhlaq (55) and his son Danish (21) at their residence at Bisada village in Dadri area on suspicion that they had killed a cow and stored its meat. Akhlaq succumbed to injuries while Danish survived with a fractured skull. Akhlaq's family has named 18 persons in this case. The matter is being heard in a fast-track court.