The family members of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched in Bishada in 2015, could not cast their votes even as his brothers Jaan Mohd. Saifi, who lives in Dadri, and Zameel Ahmad, who lives in Loni, Ghaziabad, exercised their franchise on Saturday.
Mr. Saifi said Akhlaq’s eldest son Sartaz, an Indian Air Force officer, had left for Chennai while the rest of the family members – Sartaz’s mother Ikraman, his wife, younger sister and brother Danish – were staying in the IAF-allotted falt in Delhi.
“We have cast our votes, but I believe Danish, Ikraman and the others in the family did not vote as Sartaz is in Chennai and nobody was there to bring them from Delhi," he said.
Duty in Chennai
Sartaz, who is on his way to Chennai, told The Hindu , “We had planned to visit the village and cast our votes today. I had even spoken to Gautam Budhha Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police to arrange security for us. However, at the last moment, I was asked to report in Chennai and hence we could not go for the voting.”
Akhlaq was lynched by a mob, which suspected him of consuming beef, on the night of September 28, 2015, in Bishada village near Dadri. His 22-year-old son Danish was also injured in the attack.
Akhlaq had two elder brothers -- Afzal Ahmad, who lives next to his house in Bishada, and Zameel Ahmad -- and one younger brother Jaan Mohd Saifi.
Flats vacant
In 2016, the brothers were allotted four flats of Greater Noida Authority in Zeta one sector. The flats have been registered in favour of Jaan Mohammed, Afzal Ahmad, Zameel Ahmad and Akhlaq's wife Ikraman. The families have paid of ₹10 lakh against each flat, but no one has moved in there yet.
“The Greater Noida industrial Development Authority had made it clear that the cost of the flats is ₹20 lakh to ₹24. lakh each and they can't be given free of cost. The authority had calculated the minimum cost of the flat, including the land and construction cost, and then brought down the price to ₹10 lakh for each flat," a family source said.
Funds from CM
After the lynching incident, MLC Ashu Malik had taken Akhlaq’s family to Lucknow to meet Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The family had demanded rehabilitation, following which the flats had been allotted.
Four cheques of ₹9.5 lakh each from the CM Discretionary Fund were given to Akhlaq’s kin for the payment of the flats.
Akhlaq’s family is staying in Delhi, but their votes are still listed in Bishada.
“My elder brother and his family in Ghaziabad and my family in Dadri cast their votes today. I had asked to Sartaz to get his family members’ votes transferred to Delhi as they are living there now,” Jaan Mohd. Saifi told The Hindu .
