Murder charges do not find a mention in the Uttar Pradesh government's report on the Dadri lynching submitted to the union home ministry, informed sources said on Tuesday, adding that the "slaughter of a banned animal" was the reason behind the attack.
A 50-year-old Muslim man, Mohammed Akhlaq, accused of slaughtering a calf and storing its meat in his house, was beaten to death by a mob on the night of September 28 in Bisara village, near the national capital.
The report, which was sent to the union home ministry on Monday night, mentions that Uttar Pradesh Police registered a first information report (FIR) on charges of attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly of people, punishment for voluntarily causing hurt, breach of peace, criminal intimidation and house trespass, the sources said.
However, section 302 of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to murder was not mentioned, the sources said.
The report says eight out of 10 people involved in the incident have been arrested.
When IANS asked a home ministry official how the crucial section pertaining to murder was missing from the report, he said: "This is what the UP government shared with us late on Monday night."
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The report said a mob attacked Akhlaq alleging slaughter of a "banned animal".
"The report received from the Uttar Pradesh government suggests that some members of a particular community entered the house of Akhlaq, son of Samid Khan, on September 28 at 10.30 p.m. Akhlaq and his son Danish were beaten up by people of that community alleging slaughter of banned animal by them."
It said Akhlaq was declared dead at Kailash Hospital in Noida.
The home ministry had sought to know from the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh about the background of the incident, the action taken in the aftermath and some other details with regard to tension in some parts of the state.