Akhlaq lynching case: Brinda Karat seeks President's intervention in UP govt's move to drop charges
New Delhi (PTI): Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, demanding her intervention in the Uttar Pradesh government's move to withdraw charges against the accused in the 2015 mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq.
In a letter to the President, Karat called it a "politically motivated" step by the government, and also questioned the role of the governor.
"I write to draw your urgent attention to the role of the Uttar Pradesh governor in the matter of the mob lynching case of Md Akhlaq, which occurred in September 2015. The governor has given written permission to the UP government to go ahead in its wholly illegal and unjust attempt to subvert the processes of justice and to withdraw the entire case even though the main witness has already given evidence," Karat said.
She said the government has filed an affidavit in the Greater Noida district court to withdraw the case, with the governor's permission.
"I regret that I am forced to write to you on this matter, but since the governor has been appointed by you and is answerable to you, I felt it in the interests of justice to inform you of the facts and to request your urgent intervention," she said.
On September 28, 2015, a mob gathered outside Akhlaq's house in Uttar Pradesh's Bisahada village after an alleged announcement from a village temple claiming that he had slaughtered a cow. He, along with his son Daanish, was dragged out of their home and assaulted, leading to Akhlaq's death.
"Even today, Danish has not fully recovered and carries the impact of the grievous wounds inflicted on him," Karat said.
The CPI(M) leader said the daughter of the victim gave evidence and named and identified all the accused.
"In other words, evidence against the accused has been presented and recorded in the court. The case is going on, and two other direct witnesses are to give their statements," she said.
"At such a time, the UP government has taken a decision to withdraw the case on utterly indefensible grounds, such as lathis were used, not guns, there was no personal animosity with the victim, continuing the case will lead to communal disharmony and so on," the letter read.
Karat alleged that the case has been delayed by the prosecution -- by not giving notice to the witnesses to appear -- and now the delay has been cited as the grounds to withdraw the case.
"This is motivated not to meet the ends of justice but to subvert the entire judicial process," she said.
Calling it a "politically motivated" step by the Uttar Pradesh government, she questioned, "Should the governor not counsel the government against such a step? Is it not the duty of the governor to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law?"
"If such a case is withdrawn, what will be left of the processes of justice? Will this not then apply to all cases of mob lynching that lathis were used, not guns, that there is no personal animosity, that harmony requires that such cases be withdrawn?" she asked.
Karat expressed hope that the President would intervene and direct the governor to withdraw the permission given.
"The matter is urgent as the government affidavit approved by the governor, which was to be discussed in the court yesterday (December 12) was postponed on the request of the prosecution," she added.
The Uttar Pradesh government has moved to withdraw charges against all those accused in the 2015 mob lynching in Greater Noida's Dadri, a case that had sparked nationwide outrage.
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26 killed, 61 injured in blast at fireworks factory in China
Beijing (PTI): At least 26 people were killed and 61 others injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province, officials said on Tuesday.
The explosion occurred on Monday afternoon at the plant operated by the Huasheng fireworks manufacturing and display company in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the provincial capital.
Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed massive destruction of property spanning several kilometres.
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More than 480 rescuers, organised into five teams, have been deployed for relief operations, with three rescue robots pressed into service.
Officials said 26 people were killed and 61 others were injured. The injured have been rushed to hospitals for treatment, while a second round of search operations is underway.
China is a leading manufacturer and exporter of fireworks.
As the explosion site is located near two black powder warehouses, the rescuers have evacuated nearby residents and set up a buffer zone to prevent a secondary accident, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched experts to the scene to guide rescue efforts.
The person in charge of the company has been detained by police and the cause of the accident is being investigated, the report said.
