Dadri lynching case: We saw Mohd Akhlaq slaughtering a calf, say Bisada villagers in fresh petition

The accused in the Dadri lynching case have claimed in a fresh petition that they saw Md Akhlaq slaughtering a calf.

Dadri: In a new twist to the infamous Dadri case, which saw a 52-year-old Muslim man Mohammad Akhlaq being publicly lynched to death in September last year, the families of the accused have filed an appeal in court claiming that they saw the victim's family slaughtering a calf.

In their petition, the accused have sought action against Akhlaq's family since slaughtering a calf is illegal in the state.

The villagers have also demanded in their plea that a case be registered against Akhlaq's family for the provocative offence, which finally led to his killing.

As per reports, the petition was filed in the Greater Noida court.

The petition also named eye witnesses who had claimed that they saw Akhlaq killing a calf.

The petition comes days after a forensic report by the Mathura forensic lab said the meat samples sent by the police was of an animal of the cow progeny. An earlier report had concluded that the meat was from an animal of the goat progeny.

The police said the samples were taken from the meat found in a dustbin near Mr Akhlaq's house and the forensic report will have no bearing on their investigation.

The petition now says the meat police collected was taken from Akhlaq's house and dumped near the dustbin by the villagers.

The petition claims that on September 26 last year, two villagers from Bisada, Ranvir and Jatan, saw Akhlaq and his son Danish beat up a calf. Akhlaq allegedly told them that since the calf was attacking people, he was going to tie up the animal at his brother Jaan Mohammed's house.

The petition goes on to say that shortly after, another villager, Prem Singh, while passing by Akhlaq's house, saw him slitting the animal's throat.

Two days later, Akhlaq was allegedly seen trying to dispose of animal remains at a nearby rubbish dump. He was cornered by villagers and allegedly confessed to killing the calf.

According to the police, Akhlaq was lynched and his son Danish was beaten up by an enraged mob after rumours of cow slaughter. Eighteen people were arrested in the case - among them was the son of a local BJP leader, Sanjay Rana.

On June 7, a week after the new forensic report claimed the samples were from beef, a Mahapanchayat was held at Dadri's Bisada village in defiance of prohibitory orders.