Fifteen of the accused in Dadri lynching get contractual jobs with NTPC Limited

Fifteen of the youths accused in the lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq on 28 September, 2015 in Bisada village in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri district have bagged contractual jobs with NTPC Limited, according to reports. [caption id=“attachment_4142267” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] NTPC logo. Getty images[/caption] Tejpal Nagar, the local BJP MLA, facilitated their recruitment in a meeting with senior NTPC officials on 9 October, reported The Hindu. Confirming the job offers, an NTPC spokesperson told The Hindu, “Yes, we have agreed to give jobs to unemployed youths of Bisada. It has nothing to do with Akhlaq’s lynching. Contractual jobs have been offered to many residents of Bishahra because it is the NTPC’s policy to give jobs to all project-affected persons based on their qualification and expertise.” The 19 youths accused in the lynching are all out on bail. One of the main accused in the case, Vishal Rana, was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in August this year. Daily Amar Ujala had first reported on 9 October about the decision to give jobs to the accused in NTPC. It had stated that within three months, the youths will get recruited by the company and the decision has already been taken. Akhlaq and his 22-year-old son Danish were dragged out of their home and brutally attacked by a mob of 200 on the suspicion that the family had consumed beef. Akhlaq could not survive the attack. The mob was reportedly acting on rumours that a calf had gone missing on 16 September and that its remains were found near Akhlaq’s home, while Akhlaq was allegedly seen throwing a bag containing meat which villagers claimed was from the missing calf. The incident had evoked a huge outcry and several writers, academicians and film personalities returned their awards protesting the rise in “intolerance”.