None of our neighbours came to our rescue....Mohammad Aklaqh's.....

Mohammad Aklaqh (left photo) was lynched to death by an angry mob that accused him of cow slaughter. His son Danish (right photo) suffered serious head injuries and is fighting for life in a Noida hospital. 

58-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was woken from his sleep on 28 September by an angry mob. They first went for his refrigerator, found some meat, then resorted to abusing, and finally picked up some bricks from under his bed to smash his skull.

This happened in Bisahara in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. A well-connected village, only 60 kilometres from Delhi.

Mohammad Akhlaq’s 22-year-son Danish, who came to his rescue, is currently fighting for his life in a Noida hospital.

Mohammad Aklaqh’s daughter says they have no choice but to move from Bisahara. 

And his 18-year-old daughter Shaista, who was groped and molested, says she even recognised some of the neighbourhood boys who were part of the mob.Her 70-year-old grandmother, who has a black eye and bruises all over her body, prays incessantly for Danish’s recovery. “After Akhlaq, Danish is our only hope”, she says.

The mob first ransacked the fridge and turned murderous after finding leftover meat from Eid. 

“It Wasn’t Beef”

In Uttar Pradesh, cow slaughter is illegal, but consumption isn’t. Laughably, the meat found in the family’s fridge was sent for “forensic tests” and news reports quoting UP government sources say that it was not beef. The result of this test is relevant only to prove that the rumours were false and could point to a larger conspiracy to create tension in a Hindu-dominated village, having only two Muslim households. Moreover, the village has never witnessed communal tension before.

Mohammad Akhlaq’s body was dragged out from the first floor onto the street.

The angry mob, which held a meeting at the Bada Temple, first got into a heated argument with Akhlaq over cow slaughter. He pleaded that the food in his fridge was mutton left over from Eid. The mob didn’t pay heed and went on a rampage, ransacking his house, assaulting the women and ultimately killing the 58-year old.

We’ve been living here for generations and never before have we felt like we were the only Muslim family in Bisahara. We’re shocked that none of our neighbours came to our rescue.
— Asgari, Mohammad Akhlaq’s mother