Hapur local court sentences 10 to life for mob lynching

Lucknow: A Hapur local court on Tuesday sentenced ten people to life in jail for the lynching of a meat vendor due to suspicions of cow slaughter. In June 2018, the mob killed 45-year-old Qasim Qureshi. Samaydeen, 62, was another victim hurt in the mob violence.

The victims claimed they had no personal animosity towards the defendants and had not requested the death penalty for them.

Sections 302 (murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 149, 147 (rioting), 148 (being armed with a deadly weapon) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code were the sections used by the court to convict the accused. Each of the convicted individuals was additionally fined ~58,000 by the court, the New Indian Express reported.

In 2018, Samaydeen filed a petition with the Supreme Court requesting a full investigation into the attack, following the police's attempt in their first report to attribute the lynching to a motorbike accident.

The SC then gave the Inspector General of Police, Meerut Range, instructions to make sure the investigation complies with the directives given in the Tehseen Poonawallah case ruling regarding hate crimes and mob lynchings.

After images allegedly showing the victims being dragged on the ground in front of police went viral on social media, the crime caused a national stir.

The UP police then apologised on social media and said that the personnel who were there but did nothing to help the victim would face consequences.