Two key accused in the lynching of a man in Bisada village of Uttar Pradesh following rumours about the slaughtering of a calf were arrested in the Greater Noida area on Saturday, police said.
Shivam Rana and Vishal Rana, both aged 18, were hiding in farm land in the area when they were arrested, said Dadri’s deputy superintendent of police Anurag Singh.
The total arrests in connection with the lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Ikhlaq on Monday has risen to eight. Six people were arrested soon after Ikhlaq was killed. Police named 10 people in the First Information Report and two are still at large.
According to reports, Vishal is the son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary Sanjay Rana. Both youngsters are Class 12 students in a state-run institute.
Reports in the media had said Vishal was allegedly involved in inciting the mob that targeted Ikhlaq. According to Ikhlaq’s family, Vishal allegedly coerced the priest of a temple to make an announcement that beef was stored in Ikhlaq’s home.
Vishal’s father Sanjay Rana has refuted these allegations. Sanjay has said he has been associated with the BJP for two decades but the party has said he does not hold any post.
{{/usCountry}}Vishal’s father Sanjay Rana has refuted these allegations. Sanjay has said he has been associated with the BJP for two decades but the party has said he does not hold any post.
{{/usCountry}}In an incident that drew nationwide outrage, Ikhlaq was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish critically injured when a mob broke into their home in Bisada late on Monday night, accusing them of butchering a calf and eating beef.
Cow slaughter and beef trade have come into sharp focus since the BJP took power at the Centre last year as right wing groups have been pushing for a nationwide ban, a move that many minority groups have described as an attack on individual rights.