Akhlaq was beaten to death by the mob while his son was left severely injured. The police have registered a case against 10 men, out of which 6 have been taken into custody.
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As stated by the police, they have sent samples of meat taken from the deceased old man’s house to the forensics department for examination.
Sajida has rubbished the claims and said that the meat stored in their fridge was mutton, not beef.
Akhlaq’s family has been staying in the village for final 35 years.
Cow slaughter and beef eating are sensitive issues in India where 80.5 percent of people follow Hinduism, according to which cows are considered holy and slaughtering of the animal regarded a sinful act.
The beef ban has also provoked outrage with many questioning how the government decides what is on their plate.
On Monday night, after an announcement at a local temple that her family was consuming beef, 18-year-old Sajida had no inkling about how the next few hours would unfold. They then dragged the two men out of the house and beat them with bricks.
“They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother”.
As news of the arrests spread, residents from neighbouring villages reportedly held demonstrations and clashed with police. “Following the rumours, they attacked his home”, a senior local offical told the Indian Express.
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In March, the state of Maharashtra toughened its ban to make even possessing beef illegal, a move seen by religious minorities as a sign of the growing power of hardline Hindus since nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
