Pind daan for Mohammad Akhlaq in Gaya temple

The prayers were organised by a local businessman and social activist Chandan Kumar Singh.

Chandan Kumar Singh performs pind daan for Akhlaq. (Express Photo)

AT A time when the Dadri lynching is being used to make cow slaughter a poll issue in Bihar, pind daan (prayers for the dead) was performed for the victim, Mohammad Akhlaq, in this revered Hindu temple here on Tuesday.

The prayers were organised by a local businessman and social activist Chandan Kumar Singh, who said that he decided to make the effort after he watched “Akhlaq’s painful story” on television. “It was disturbing to see how he was murdered by people who were his neighbours after a rumour was spread,’’ he said. “I have no doubt that most of the people in our society will not condone such a heinous act. This is the handiwork of a few people and it is a shame that rather than condemning this murder, there are people who are using it for political goals.”

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Singh said his late father, Suresh Narayan, started the practice of performing pind daan for people he didn’t know, including those from other communities who were killed in natural or man-made disasters.

“I am continuing this practice,’’ he said. “After learning about Akhlaq’s murder, I approached Swami Raghvacharyaji Maharaj and he agreed that it would be a good message for society”.

Swami Raghvacharya ji Maharaj, who heads the Ramanuj Math and is a well-known priest of the Vishnupad temple, said the prayers were a “message to the people who murdered a man by spreading a rumour that he had consumed gau maans, that they have committed a heinous crime”. “This is not the teaching of our religion. This is against manavta (humanity),’’ said the Swami.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More

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