In June 2018, a mob lynched Qasim, a resident of Bajhayda village. (representative)

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A local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur on Tuesday found all 10 defendants guilty in the 2018 mob lynching case and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The court of Additional District Magistrate (POCSO) Shweta Dixit, after hearing both sides, sentenced 10 people for killing 45-year-old Qasim and attacking Samaydeen (62), citing rumors of cow slaughter.

According to government lawyer Vijay Chauhan, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 58,000 each on Rakesh, Hariom, Yudhishthir, Rinku, Karanpal, Manish, Lalit, Sonu, Kaptan and Mangeram of Bajhaida village in Daulana.

The prosecutor argued that the injured party had no animosity towards the defendant and was simply seeking justice. They also asked the court not to sentence the criminals to death.

In June 2018, a mob lynched Qasim, a resident of Bajhayda village, accusing him of slaughtering prohibited animals.

Samedin was also attacked over rumors of cow slaughter, but he survived.

Chouhan said the police registered a false FIR, framing the incident as a motorcycle accident, but the investigation was on track after Samaddin filed a case in the Supreme Court.

Samaydeen had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 2018 and the court had directed to provide security and record statements under Section 164 of the CrPC and directed the IG (Meerut District) to monitor the investigation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)