One cop claims didn’t lay hands on victim, another ‘not present’

Naval Kishore Sharma (of VHP) is (accusing police officers) to save the two accused as they are members of the same selfproclaimed cow protection group (that he belongs to) HARENDRA SINGH, police constable accused of beating Rakbar Khan

ALWAR: At least two policemen, part of the team accused of allegedly beating Rakbar Khan, who had already been brutally thrashed by cow vigilantes, leading to his death, have claimed innocence with one of them saying that he “didn’t even touch” the victim and other saying he was not present at the spot.

This comes on the day state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria said evidence suggested Khan’s was “a custodial death” and ordered a judicial probe.

Naval Kishore Sharma, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member and reportedly an eyewitness, had alleged that the policemen took Khan to the station first where “they beat him up leading to his death”. Policemen later took Khan to Ramgarh community health centre where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Constable Harendra Singh, who has been sent to police lines, rubbished the charges. “I didn’t even touch him (Khan). Reality is that accused Dharmendra Yadav and Paramjeet Singh had dragged Khan through the wet fields. He was roughed up and covered in mud. We (the police team) arranged for water to clean him. After that we started inquiring about the situation and then took him to the hospital. I don’t remember the exact time it took to reach the hospital,” Singh said.

Singh, who drove the PCR van to the hospital, instead ques- tioned the motive of Kishore, who, incidentally, was the first to inform police about the attack.

“I don’t understand why Kishore is coming out with different stories. On one hand, he says that he reached the police station directly from the gaushala; on the other, he claimed that we all stopped at Ramgarh around 3am. The reality is that Kishore had reached the spot directly. He didn’t come with us,” Singh said.

The constable also said Naval Kishore “is doing this to save the two accused” because “they are the members of the same self-proclaimed cow protection group”.

The other constable, Surendra Singh Yadav, too termed the allegations false. “I was not even present at the spot. I was on patrolling duty. I don’t know on what basis my name has been mentioned in the FIR,” he said.

Kishore stuck to his version. “They are telling lies to defend themselves. I have given an honest description to save the innocent youngsters,” he said.