Supreme Court To Take Up Hapur Lynching On Petition Over NDTV Expose

After an NDTV investigation in which men accused of lynching are caught on hidden camera bragging about the killings, the Supreme Court today agreed to urgently take up the mob-attack in which one man was killed and another severely injured in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, around 70 km from Delhi.

Lawyers for the Hapur lynching victim, who were planning to petition the Supreme Court, requested an "urgent hearing" after NDTV aired the sting operation. Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra agreed to hear the case on Monday next.

The victim has asked for a court-monitored Special Investigation Team probe and also wants the case to be shifted out of UP for a fair trial. He also wants the court to cancel bail for the accused.

The mob attack on June 18 was caught on cellphone videos that were in wide circulation online.  The video showed a 45-year-old meat trader, Qasim Qureishi, being thrashed. The crowd also beat up another man, 65-year-old Samiuddin, at times pulling his beard while shouting abuses at him for allegedly killing a cow. Qasim died soon after.

The police made four arrests, naming a local, Yudhishthir Singh Sisodia, as the main accused. Sisodia was let off on bail days later.

NDTV travelled to Bajedha Khurd village in Hapur to meet him.

The police made four arrests, naming a local, Yudhishthir Singh Sisodia, as the main accused

Sisodia, in a written statement to court, said that he had no role in the attack and wasn't present at the spot. But on hidden camera, he bragged about the crime, saying he even accepted it before jail authorities.

"Haan maine bola ki wo gaaye kaat rahe they, maine usko kaat diya... jailer ke saamne (I told the jailer that they [the victims] were slaughtering cows so I slaughtered them)," Sisodia told NDTV.

On his response to the jailer's question on cases against him, he said: "Maine turant kaha, 302 aur 307, full murder and half murder, wo gaaye kaat rahe thee maine usko kaat diya baat khatam (I said section 302 and 307, full and half murder, they slaughtered cows, I killed them)."

He added: "Meri fauj tayaar hai. Koi gaaye kaate, s*** mai usko katwaa denge, s*** ko khade khade. Hazaar baar jail jaana pade jaayenge (My army is ready. If anyone slaughters a cow, we will kill them and go to jail a thousand times)".

In the video of the attack, bystanders can be heard asking Qasim to be given water. Sisodia said: "Maine kaha tujhe paani peene kaa haq nai hai, tune marti hui gaaye ko paani nai diya. Meri fauj tujhe choregi nahi tujhe ek ek minute maaregi s*** ko. (I said he has no right to drink water, he slaughtered a cow. My army will kill him by every minute)."