Dadri lynching: Priest spread beef rumour
The youths had forced the temple priest to make the announcement, police said
Lucknow: Police probing the Dadri lynching on Thursday said that the “trigger” behind it was the announcement by a local temple that beef was being consumed by the victim’s family, and said the priest and the two youths were the “major links” in the case.
The youths had forced the temple priest to make the announcement, police said, adding that it triggered the attack. The FIR lodged in this connection has no mention of beef. Police claimed that cow slaughtering was an allegation made by the assailants.
“An FIR has been lodged under IPC section 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 458 (house-trespass or house-breaking), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace),” an officer said. Ten persons have been named as accused along with over a hundred unknown assailants.
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by the victim’s family. Seven accused were held on Wednesday. “The priest and two youths who forced him to announce beef rumour are the major links. Further probe will reveal the exact seque-nce of events as to how it all happened,” superintendent of police (rural) Sanjay Singh said.