Life imprisonment for 14 in Seoni Malwa mob lynching case:Youth was beaten to death, kin claim they were protecting cows

The ADJ Court in Seoni Malwa, Narmadapuram, on Friday sentenced 14 people to life imprisonment in the 2022 mob lynching case linked to alleged cattle smuggling. The verdict was delivered by ADJ Tabassum Khan after nearly three years of trial proceedings. The case relates to the death of Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Amravati, Maharashtra, who was fatally assaulted by a mob after a truck carrying cattle was intercepted near Barakhad village in Seoni Malwa on August 3, 2022. Tension outside court after verdict Soon after the judgment was pronounced, tension erupted in the court premises as relatives of the convicts protested against the decision. When police began taking the convicts to jail, some family members lay down in front of the police vehicle in an attempt to stop it. There was also pushing and shoving between police personnel and relatives. After considerable effort, police brought the situation under control and escorted all 14 convicts to jail. Additional police force had been deployed in and around the court premises as a precautionary measure. Relatives claim convicts were punished unfairly Family members of the convicts alleged that the accused had reached the spot with the intention of protecting cattle and claimed they had been wrongly given a harsh sentence. Despite the protests, police completed the transfer of the convicts to jail under tight security. Mob allegedly attacked truck carrying cattle According to the prosecution, a truck travelling from Madhya Pradesh to Amravati in Maharashtra and carrying around 30 cattle was stopped near Barakhad village on the night of August 3, 2022. A group of villagers and self-styled cow vigilantes allegedly surrounded the vehicle and attacked the three occupants with sticks and iron rods. Driver said mob attacked without questioning Sheikh Lala, the truck driver who survived the assault, had told police that around 50 to 60 people blocked the road and began attacking them without asking any questions. He said the mob continued beating the victims until they were severely injured and covered in blood. Police later rushed them to hospital, where Nazir Ahmad succumbed to his injuries. A video of the incident had also surfaced, allegedly showing members of the mob attacking the victims with sticks and clubs while shouting slogans. The intervention of some people reportedly helped save the lives of the two other occupants. Convicted under murder, attempt to murder and rioting charges The court found all 14 accused guilty under various provisions related to murder, attempt to murder, rioting and wrongful restraint. Police had registered an FIR following the incident in 2022. The judgment was delivered on Friday after proceedings that lasted nearly three years.
These people were sentenced by the court