Dadri lynching: Meat in Akhlaq's fridge was mutton, not beef; report ready for 2 months, police yet to collect it

By Vivek AvasthiNoida: Preliminary findings in a lab test on Monday revealed that the piece of meat that was recovered from Akhlaq's house in Bisahra village of Greater Noida was actually mutton and not beef as was rumoured. The rumour had led to fatal consequences as the 50-year-old Akhlaq's was brutally beaten to death by a lynch mob in September this year.[caption id="attachment_2562170" align="alignleft" width="380"] The victim in Dadri had been murdered over rumours of beef consumption. PTI[/caption]The report was issued by the deputy chief medical veterinary officer of the Government Veterinary Hospital at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Budh Nagar district.Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Rajesh Dixit, who retired on October 31 as director of the Cow Meat Examination Forensic Laboratory in Mathura, said: “The examination was conducted and the report prepared in October itself. Since no official from Noida came to collect the report, it was lying in my office… We did not get any reminders.”The report said that "due to the request of Tej Pal Singh, Sub-Inspector, Police Station Jarcha, case no. 241/15 dated 29/09/2015, I have examined the meat seized by the police from the village."The report said that meat weighing about 4-5 kg in the form of small pieces, which was non-hygienic, red in colour and foul smelling with deposits of white fat was received for further tests. The meat pieces were from the hind legs of the animal.The officer concluded the report by saying that "to the best of my knowledge, it seems that this meat belongs to goat progeny but for final confirmation and diagnosis, sample have been taken and sent to forensic laboratory, Mathura. Rest of the meat was handed over to the police authority for final disposal."Sources in Noida Police confirmed that this is the preliminary report which they sought immediately after the incident took place on the night of 28 September after an announcement was made from the loudspeaker of a local temple that Akhlaq's family members were consuming beef at home.Soon after, a mob of around 200 people gathered outside Akhlaq's house and all hell broke loose. While the 50-year-old Akhlaq was lynched to death, his younger son Danish sustained severe head injuries. He was treated at a local hospital in Noida from where he was later shifted to the Army Hospital in Delhi. The elder son of Akhlaq and Danish's elder brother is a Corporal with the Indian Air Force and was posted in Chennai when the incident took place.The local police had registered an FIR and 10 people including the son of a local BJP leader were arrested. Seven others including a Home Guard were arrested later taking the total arrest count to 17. The police have already filed a charge sheet in the case and are on a look out for two more accused who are still at large.