Dadri Part 2? Gujarat cops "force" relatives to accept body of Ayyub, attacked by cow vigilantes in Ahmedabad

Body of Ayyub being brought in Vatva area

Is Ahmedabad all set to turn into Dadri Part 2? It would seem so, if the latest incident of the Gujarat cops seeking to forcibly hand over the body of Mohd Ayyub, who was allegedly attacked by cow vigilantes on September 13 and succumbed to his injuries on September 16, is any indication.

Known as the 2015 lynching case, in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh a mob of villagers attacked the home of 52 year-old Mohammed Akhlaq, killing him, for suspicion of slaughtering a cow. Akhlaq died in the attack, and his son, 22-year-old Danish, was seriously injured.

The police brought the body of Ayyub from VS Hospital in an ambulance after his relatives refused to accept it demanding action against the cow vigilantes first. The relatives were supported by a well-known human rights group, Jan Sangharsh Manch, with which top Dalit rights leader Jignesh Mevani has been associated.
Earlier, the victim's younger, brother Mohd Arif, along with many others were detained by the Gujarat Police at VS Hospital when they protested against the pressure being brought on them to take away the victim's body against the wishes of the family. The victim's mother threatened to pour kerosene on herself set herself on fire if Arif was not set free.

Police van taking away Jan Sangharsh Manch activists

Young human rights activist Pratik Sinha and his friend Pravin Mishra, a professor at a well-known media institute in Ahmedabad, present at the VS Hospital in support of the family, were charged with lathis at VS Hospital, whereas Shamshad Pathan, lawyer and activist with the Jan Sangharsh Manch, and his colleague Asim Shaikh, were detained.
Pathan was addressing a crowd which had gathered at the VS Hospital in support of the demand arrest the culprits before the family could perform the last rites.
Meanwhile, the situation became tense in Vatva area of Ahmedabad, where local residents, mostly Muslims, came out in support of the family. Many women sat on a wooden cot right near the ambulance's entrance and did not allow the police take out the dead body.
Mevani, who was picked up by the Gujarat police after he returned from Delhi on September 16 from the airport and released early on September 17, said in a statement, “I am technically released but still under house arrest, kind of surveillance, as a team of Ahmadabad crime branch is constantly with me.”

Ayyub at VS Hospital

Calling the death of Ayyub Dadri Part 2, he added, “My detention is negligible, they need tremendous support.” Leader of the Una protest movement against the gruesome flogging of four Dalit youths on July 11, Mevani was detained on September 16 evening at Ahmedabad airport, apprehending he would protest against Modi, in Gujarat for his birthday bash.
On September 13, Ayyub and Sameer Sheikh were travelling in an Innova towards Ahmedabad with two calves when vigilantes chased them, rammed into their car near Honest T-junction near Karnavati club in Ahmedabad, pulled them out of the car, and beat them up with rods and sticks.
This incident happened at around 3 a.m.
Sheikh was also beaten up and suffered injuries on his head. The police took Sheikh him into custody, but by the time they could reach Mohd Ayyub, he had already suffered many injuries. Ambulance was called in and Ayyub was admitted to Civil Hospital, while Sheikh was taken to Anandnagar Police Station.
Shifted to VS Hospital for reasons not known, Ayyub died 5 p.m. on September 16. The police registered two FIRs, the first against Sameer Sheikh and Mohd Ayyub under Cow Protection Act and the other against cow vigilantes under Section 307, i.e. attempt to murder.

Mother of Ayyub (extreme left) at VS Hopital

However, say sources, while the police named the cow vigilantes in the first FIR against Sheikh and Mohd Ayyub and also noted down the vehicle numbers, in the second FIR under Section 307, the attackers have been termed as 'unknown'.
The attack took place despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling 80 per cent cow vigilantes “fake”, asking states to take action against them. Delivering a speech in Medak, Telangana, on August 7, Modi was indirectly referring to the flogging of four Dalit youths by cow vigilantes on July 11.

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