Brother of lynching victim in Mangaluru demands fast-track trial

Mangaluru: The brother of the Mangaluru mob lynching victim has sought a fast-track court trial in the brutal murder of Ashraf, a resident of Pulpalli village of Sultan Battery taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala. Jabbar, the brother of Ashraf, submitted a memorandum to district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday and urged an impartial investigation into the mob lynching reported during a cricket match at Kudupu on April 27.

As per the Supreme Court judgement in the Tehseen Poonawalla case, mob lynching cases need to be taken up in fast track courts, Jabbar stated and urged the minister to hand over Ashraf's mob lynching case to a fast track court. He also appealed to the govt to announce compensation for the mob lynching victim's family as per law at the earliest.

Jabbar stated that several lapses were found in the investigation conducted by police. "There were procedural lapses in filing the FIR and in the investigation. This led to the suspension of three personnel, including the investigating officer. An efficient police officer, who can conduct an impartial probe, must be assigned to conduct the investigation," he urged.

This is the first mob lynching case reported in Karnataka after the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. A special public prosecutor must be appointed immediately to ensure that culprits in such crimes are punished, and this message should also reach society. The guidelines established by the Supreme Court in the Tehseen Poonawalla case require strict adherence to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future, he added.