Dadri lynching: UP govt sends report to Centre; Rajnath Singh appeals for communal harmony

Dadri: Recovery of the body of a young man on Tuesday stoked tension in Dadri's Bishada village where a Muslim was recently bludgeoned to death over rumours of eating beef as the UP government submitted its report to the Centre which has no mention of rumours of "beef consumption or cow slaughter" having triggered the killing.

Jay Prakash, 24, was found dead in his house at the village, about 60 km from the national capital, and his family alleged he was being harassed by the police despite his name not figuring in the list of absconders being hunted for the killing of Mohammed Iqlakh on September 28 night.

"There are visible signs on the deceased person's body suggesting the cause and time of death. Investigation has been taken up but no conclusions can be drawn until the postmortem report is obtained," said SI Ranvir Singh.

Jay Prakash lived with his mother Omvati, wife Guddi, and two brothers. His father Ram Avatar Singh passed away a few years ago. Their house is just stone's throw from Iqlakh's residence.

Prakash's mother Omvati alleged police harassment and claimed her son was under immense pressure despite his name not being in the list of absconders.

Villagers claimed the police had been looking for Jay Prakash and his brothers for the past one week and his family was terrified because of that.

"Police are raiding houses in the village every day, leading to immense tension. They are harassing all, including people like Jay Prakash whose name was not present in the absconders' list," alleged Hari Ram Singh, a villager.

Police have confirmed Jay Prakash was not among the absconding accused.

The Uttar Pradesh government has, meanwhile, submitted a report to the Centre on the lynching of 50-year-old Iqlakh but but made no categorical mention of "beef consumption or cow slaughter" rumours having triggered the killing.

The report sent to the Home Ministry said Iqlakh and his son Danish were attacked by some unidentified people over unconfirmed allegations of having consumed "pratibandhit pashu ka maans" (meat of an animal banned from slaughter).

The report incorporated a factual account of the incident as recorded in the FIR registered by the local police in Dadri in Gautam Budh Nagar district, a Home Ministry official said.

On the action taken following the incident, the report said some suspects have been picked up following preliminary investigation. Without going into details of the possible motive behind the killing, the report said further probe is on.

The Home Ministry had on October 1 sought a report from the state government on the incident which has triggered an outrage.

Meanwhile, tempers continue to run high in the village where no outsiders or media are allowed.

After the locals, especially women, protested over a virtual parade by the media at the village since Iqlakh's brutal killing, the local administration put up barricades and have kept journalists outside Bishada's welcome arch. All vehicles entering the village are being searched for outsiders.

As tension simmered, the Gautam Budh Nagar police under whose jurisdiction Bishada falls, has sent a report to the district administration against the local BJP MP and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma and UP BJP MLA Sangeet Som, accused of inciting the Muzaffarnagar riots, for violation of prohibitory orders under section 144 Cr PC clamped in the village following Iqlakh's killing.

"Since AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi came in a car just to pay condolences to the family and left, there is no report against him," SP (Rural) SK Yadav said.

He claimed the situation in the village was "peaceful".

About Jay Prakash's death, Yadav said the man was suspected to have committed suicide by consuming poison. A post mortem examination has been conducted and result is awaited, he said.

Political posturing, meanwhile, continued over the gruesome killing with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav alleging "some forces" were conspiring to defame his government by spreading communalism.

"Some forces are conspiring to spread communalism and we have to remain alert," he said at an event in Lucknow.

His uncle and senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav directly blamed the BJP for the incident.

"The incident of Dadri lynching is a well planned conspiracy of BJP for political gains. Despite much hue and cry, we did not stop anyone from visiting the village so that they could know the truth and ground reality," senior SP leader and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav said.

"We are keeping an eye on hate mongers. They have orchestrated riots in Muzaffarnagar and trying the same in other parts of the state. Stern directives have been given to district level officers. Now action will also be taken against them if they are found lax," Yadav, who is SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother, said.

Controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj deprecated attempts at politicising the issue to "disrupt communal harmony".

"Some political parties only think of Muslims as voters and not as human beings. They have been politicising the issue and disrupting communal harmony.

"Akhileshji has given a compensation of Rs 45 lakhs to the family. I have no problem even if the amount is Rs 50 lakh. Today Azam Khan (a senior UP minister) is going to arrive...It is very unfortunate....The way Dadri incident is being politicised," he said.

Khan had yesterday asked the United Nation to look into the "miseries" of minorities in India.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Khan had also accused RSS of working to turn secular and pluralistic India into a majoritarian, theocratic 'Hindu Rashtra'.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, meanwhile, termed as "an unfortunate act" the killing of Iqlakh and appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony.

"It was an unfortunate incident. I appeal to every citizen to maintain communal harmony in the country, which is everyone's responsibility," Singh said, while talking to reporters on sidelines of 80th birth anniversary of Bharat Kisan Union founder Mahendra Singh Tikait.