Protect lynching survivor, police told

New Delhi: Taking note of a sting operation conducted by a TV channel on the security threat to a sole survivor and a key witness in the Hapur lynching, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Meerut police to give security cover to the person who survived a mob attack in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur over suspicion of killing a cow on June 18.

In June, 38-year-old Qasim Qureishi was lynched to death and 65-year-old Shamsuddin was severely injured in Hapur district after a group of people attacked them on suspicion of being involved in cow slaughter.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a petition filed by the survivor Samiuddin seeking SIT probe into the lynching and police protection to the key witness. The transfer of the case outside Uttar Pradesh was also sought.  

The bench asked the state police to file a report on the incident. In the sting operation, a man accused of lynching accepted on the camera that he was proud of his actions. He even said that he had informed the jail authorities about what he had done.

Mr Samiuddin, also prayed for cancellation of the bail granted to the four accused. Rakesh Sisodia, the main accused, was arrested and then freed on bail days later. Sisodia, in a written statement to court, had said that he had no role in the Hapur mob lynching and wasn’t even present at the spot. But on hidden camera, he bragged about the crime, saying he even accepted it before jail authorities.