Lucknow: Ten months after a mob in Dadri killed Mohammad Akhlaq over rumours that he had slaughtered a cow, his family faces prosecution for alleged cow slaughter following a neighbour's complaint, police said on Saturday.
Police registered a case of cow slaughter against Mohammad Akhlaq's family on Friday following a court order, said police officer Daljeet Singh. The court acted on a forensic report that said the meat found in a dustbin outside the family's home was beef. Yusuf Saifi, the family's attorney, said he would challenge the court's order.
The court is hearing a petition filed by the neighbour and backed by those accused of Akhlaq's murder alleging that his family had killed a calf and that his brother Jaan Mohammad was seen slitting the throat of the animal. It names seven members of the family, including Akhlaq's wife and mother.
The killing of Mohammed Akhlaq last September sparked furious debate about religious tolerance in India. Akhlaq's family left the village after the attack and is living in New Delhi.
