Third Juvenile released on bail in Dadri lynching case

Nearly a year after the incident, the third juvenile, accused in Dadri lynching case, was released on bail from the juvenile detention centre Tuesday evening. The bail appeal of the accused was accepted by the Greater Noida court on September 6.

“The police had challenged our client’s age claiming him to be an adult. However, we gathered all the evidence and produced it in the court. The court agreed to our claims and granted bail terming him a juvenile at the time of the incident,” said Thakur Shishpal Shishodiya, counsel of the accused person.

On the night of September 28 last year, three days after Bakr Eid, Bisada village resident Mohammad Ikhlaq, 55, and his son Danish, 21, were attacked by a mob of locals over allegation of sacrificing a cow at Bakr Eid and storing its meat for consumption. Ikhlaq had succumbed to his injuries the next day while Danish survived with a fractured skull. The mob had allegedly recovered a bowl of meat from the fridge of Ikhlaq and remains of an animal from near the transformer of the village. Samples of the meat and remains of animal were sent to a forensic lab in Mathura, reports of which confirmed it belonged to a cow or its progeny.

The police had arrested 18 men, including three juveniles, on charges of murder and assault. All three juveniles are now out on bail.

“We have already filed a chargesheet against all accused persons. The investigation in murder and assault has been completed. The matter is sub judice so we cannot comment on the issue,” said a senior police officer.

The family and neighbours of the accused quietly celebrated his return after a year and maintained distance from the media.

“We have full faith in the judiciary, this is all we want to say,” said the father of the accused.

Read: Dadri lynching: Allahabad HC stays arrest of Ikhlaq’s family, except brother