Is BJP leader's nephew key to solving Dadri lynching mystery?

Hours after a report prepared by a forensic lab in Mathura concluded that the meat found by the police while investigating Mohamad Akhlaq's lynching belonged to a "cow or its progeny", senior UP cops clarified that the flesh was in fact recovered from the "tri-junction near a transformer" outside Akhlaq's residence and not from his home. What the UP police have failed to establish is how the meat ended up at the tri-junction which lies close to the deceased Akhlaq's residence.

After accessing the case diary prepared by the investigators of UP police probing the Dadri lynching, dna had pointed out at several inconsistencies which could weaken the case against the accused, for instance, the lack of independent witnesses. However, another failure on part of the UP police investigators is the complete failure of corroborating statements of all the 18 accused as well as clarifying the contradictions in multiple statements given by the main accused - Vishal and Shivam Rana. Vishal is the son of a local BJP leader Sanjay Rana while Shivam is Rana's nephew.

In the entire Dadri investigation only one accused, a UP home guard, clearly says that it was Shivam who claimed he had seen Akhlaq throw the meat onto the street. But this is where the story gets even murkier.

In their first statement, Vishal and Shivam are quoted saying that they "heard the announcement" about cow slaughter. In another statement of the two accused, they are quoted saying that they "received the news of cow slaughter". In yet another statement which was produced by the investigating officer in front of the magistrate, Vishal and Shivam are quoted as saying they were provoked by others to attack Akhlaq. Furthermore, the two apologise for their crime and say that they will repeat their statement in the court.

A juvenile allegedly involved in the murder is quoted saying that he heard Shivam and Vishal's announcement and walked towards Akhlaq's residence. Police in their conclusion mention recovering meat from the scene of crime and state that both Shivam and Vishal made an announcement saying ,"A cow had been slaughtered near the transformer".

But according to UP home guard Vinay, an accused in the case, on the day of the incident, near the transformer, a dog dragged out a polythene bag containing some material from a drain which looked like skin.

The same material, according to Vinay, was shown to Dr Arun Kumar, a veterinarian (who was amongst the group of people) to find out if the meat was from a calf or a goat. Shivam told Dr Kumar, in the presence of other men from the village, that the meat was thrown at the spot by Akhlaq.

Shivam is also said to have told Vinay that Dr Kumar confirmed the meat was of a calf. Vishal and Shivam then moved to the temple to make the announcement. The same group of people then attacked Akhlaq. The priest in front of whom the announcement was made finds no mention in police documents.

It is imperative to mention that the investigating officer of the case Subodh Kumar Singh was transferred in the middle of the investigation. While there were widespread allegations of corruption against Singh, UP police maintained that Singh's transfer was a routine one.