Despite the allegation that three policemen were attacked with knives, the court noted that “none of the police personnel or any other person sustained even a minor injury” — not even a scratch
NEW DELHI — An Additional District and Sessions Court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has acquitted two Muslims in two connected cases dating back to 2014 — one under the state’s anti-cow slaughter law and another for allegedly attacking police with knives.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Anurag Panwar acquitted Israr and Kamil, residents of Sherpur area under the Kotwali police station, last week, holding that the prosecution had “failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.”
The two cases arose from the same incident on November 22, 2014. According to the prosecution, Sub-Inspector Babu Lal and two other policemen were on patrol duty around 8:10 am when an informer tipped them off that the two accused were slaughtering a cow outside Israr’s house.
Police claimed they reached the spot and found a slaughtered cow with its skin removed, along with its horns and hooves, and the two accused holding knives. The prosecution alleged that when the police tried to arrest them, the men attacked the police party with knives “with the intention of killing them.”
The court found the prosecution’s version doubtful on several grounds:
1. No injuries: Despite the allegation that three policemen were attacked with knives, the court noted that “none of the police personnel or any other person sustained even a minor injury” — not even a scratch. This, the court said, cast “serious doubt” on the claim of attempt to murder.
2. No independent witnesses: The incident allegedly took place in the middle of the village in a public area where 50 to 100 people had gathered. The court questioned why the prosecution neither produced any independent witness from the crowd nor explained why none of them were examined.
3. Implausible timeline: The court observed that it was “difficult to believe that the accused would continue slaughtering a cow for nearly two hours in the presence of a large crowd without anyone objecting or the accused attempting to flee.” It noted that the allegation “could have been fabricated.”
4. Gaps in evidence: The court pointed to serious gaps in the investigation, noting that the veterinary report to prove that the recovered meat was beef and other material evidence were not duly proved as per law.
The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and Sections 3, 5 and 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, which prohibits slaughter of cows and sale of beef.
Both men were out on bail during the trial. The court acquitted them in both cases.
