Ranchi: 11 people including a BJP leader were convicted in the murder of Alimuddin alias Asghar Ansari by a fast-track court in Jharkhand under IPC Section 302 (murder). This is the first time people have been convicted in a case relating to violence in the name of cow protection anywhere in India. They will be sentenced on March 21. One of the accused is a local BJP leader and 3 are members of a gau raksha samiti. Three of the accused were convicted under Section 120B (conspiracy) – indicating that the court was convinced that the attack was pre-planned.
It must be Alimuddin Ansari was lynched to death by a mob in Ramgarh on June 29, reportedly based on suspicions that he was carrying beef. He was attacked when on his way when he was carrying about 200 kg of meat in his van. The gau rakhshaks also set his car on fire. He was rushed to the hospital by the police but he succumbed to his injuries while as soon as he reached the hospital.
In videos of the assault went viral on social media showing gau rakshaks beating Ansari with pieces of meat while his car was on fire in the background.
Defence lawyers told that they will challenge the conviction in the court.
It must be recalled that wife of Alimuddin’s brother Jalil Ansari, a witness in the murder case died in an accident when she was going home to get the identity proof of his husband. As a result Jalil Ansari. The case also made headlines when in October 2017, a witness was unable to testify.