Another juvenile gets bail in Dadri lynching case

GREATER NOIDA: A local court on Monday granted bail to a juvenile accused who was among 18 people arrested for allegedly beating a 55-year-old Muslim man to death

GREATER NOIDA: A local court on Monday granted bail to a juvenile accused who was among 18 people arrested for allegedly beating a 55-year-old Muslim man to death in Uttar Pradesh’s Bisada village after rumours surfaced that he had slaughtered a calf.

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He is the second minor to get bail in the case. Another juvenile is still in custody.

“Now we will apply for the bail of the third and the last juvenile accused in the case who is lodged in a detention centre,” said the counsel of the accused.

HINDUS, MUSLIMS TO DEVELOP HARMONY FOREST IN BISADA

The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration will take the help of Hindus and Muslims to develop a ‘communal harmony forest’ on the 38-acre government land in Bisada on which Mohammad Ikhlaq was lynched by a mob on September 28, 2015 over rumours of cow slaughtering.

The district administration will promote the forest as a symbol of communal harmony and inspire people of all faiths to live together peacefully, officials said.

Ikhlaq’s son Sartaj Saifi, an Indian Airforce corporal, extended his full support to the project. “India’s uniqueness is unity in diversity. And we all should work to maintain harmony among different religions. Development of a forest in Bisada as a symbol of communal harmony is a wonderful step. My family supports this initiative,” said Saifi.

The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration and the forest department have identified 38 acres of barren government land located between National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) campus and Bisada.

“We need to engage different communities in positive initiatives that will help them in living together like one family. On July 15, we plan to plant 30,000 saplings of fruit bearing trees to develop the ‘communal harmony forest’. We have decided to invite people, particularly youth from all communities, for tree plantation,” said NP Singh, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The forest department will provide trees and funds for the project.

“Villagers will carry out the plantation and supervise the project. The NTPC uses 200 million gallons per day (MLD) of groundwater. We are working on a project so that NTPC can use treated waste water by next year and stops exploiting groundwater. Development of this forest and use of treated waste water will benefit Bisada villagers,” Singh said.

Bisada village head Kaushalya Sisodiya and others welcomed the decision. “Our village has been in limelight for all the wrong reasons since September 28, 2015 after Ikhlaq was killed. We will support this project because it will bring positivity into the minds of villagers and help in improving environment,” she said.