Alimuddin Ansari’s vehicle was set on fire in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district.
A fast track court (FTC) in Ramgarh on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to 11 of the 12 accused convicted in Alimuddin Ansari’s lynching that took place in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district last year in June. Additional Judge-II Om Prakash handed out the life sentence after hearing both sides on the quantum of punishment. The court has also directed the district services legal authority (DLSA) to initiate proceedings for ensuring adequate compensation to the victim’s family. The court had convicted them on March 16.
Alimuddin Ansari, 55, was beaten to death by a mob led by members of a local gau raksha samiti, who had intercepted his van in which he was carrying beef. The mob had also set his vehicle ablaze. The incident had occured a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had decried people taking law into their hands in the name of ‘gau raksha’.
“We had prayed the court for maximum punishment. However, the defence had sought leniency on the ground that it was first criminal case against them. The court has awarded life sentences to all the 11 convicted. The court has not given any decision on the 12th accused, whom we want to be treated as an adult, although he is between 16 and 18 years of age,” said Additional Public Prosecutor Sushil Kumar Shukla.
The 11 convicted include a district media cell incharge of BJP, Nitayanand Mahto, besides at least three members of the local gau raksha samiti – Santosh Singh, Deepak Mishra and Chhotu Verma. The others are Sikander Ram, Vicky Saw, Raju Kumar, Vikram Prasad, Kapil Thakur and Uttam Kumar.
Kumar further added: “The DLSA has been directed by the court to initiate proceedings so that adequate compensation is given to the victim’s family.”
Shahban Ansari, younger son of Alimuddin Ansari, said over phone: “My mother is satisfied with the verdict. However, we are not happy over the fact that the government did not give any compensation to our family. My father was the sole bread winner for the family. At the time of the incident, many people and officials had come here promising us many things. But, we never got any compensation.”
Ansari, the police had said, was coming in his van carrying beef from Chitarpur area of Ramgarh on the fateful day. He was followed by one of the accused, Raju Kumar, a new recruit to the gau raksha samiti, who kept informing the others about Ansari’s location. His van was later intercepted near a gas agency in Ramgarh Police Station area, where the mob gathered and beat him up. The police had said that Mishra and Singh had raised the issue of Ansari’s alleged involvement in illegal beef supply at a peace committee meeting with the police a few days before the incident.