Milkman’s family now faces uncertain future
GURUGRAM: The man who was allegedly beaten to death by a mob on suspicion that he was a cow smuggler Friday night in Rajasthan’s Alwar district was the sole breadwinner of his family. Rakbar Khan’s family in Haryana’s Mewat district said Saturday he had gone to Lalavandi village (in Rajasthan) with his friend Aslam to buy two cows to expand his milk supply business.
Aslam Khan, who returned to Haryana on Saturday morning, said he hid in the fields taking advantage of the dark while a crowd attacked Rakbar.
“We left our village around 5pm on Friday on Rakbar’s motorcycle. He had asked me to accompany him,” Aslam said.
He said they had bought two cows for ~60,000 from one of the villagers there and Rakbar was walking the cows while he was riding the motorcycle alongside when they heard the gunshots.
“Some started shouting that we were trying to steal cows. They rushed towards us. I got scared and ran towards the field. Rakbar was holding the cows then,” Khan said. He said he cannot recognise any of the attackers because of the darkness, but can recognise their voices as they were “abusing us very loudly”.
“I remained hidden in the field until Saturday morning. Then I came out and took a lift to reach my village.” He reached by 5am.
A local in the Rajasthan village where Rakbar was attacked claimed: “They (accused Dharmendra Yadav and his friends) were consuming alcohol. They saw two people passing through the farm with cows and attacked them, claiming that they were part of the gang involved in theft of bovines from the village.”
Rakbar’s family members said he wanted to start his own dairy with 10 more cows. He had taken a loan from his in-laws and friends to buy two cows Friday.
His body was brought to the village by the Mewat police after the post-mortem on Saturday.
Villagers said his wife, Asmina Khan, 30, were left consciousness upon hearing about the attack. Later, Asmina said the family owned three cows and did its best to care for them. They supplied milk to the dairy owners in the area. “How can I lead a life without my husband? I have four son and three daughters,” she said.
She said she was planning to cook biryani for him as it was his favourite food but before she could even start preparations, news of his death reached her.
Rakbar’s brother Akbar, who teaches in a local mosque and lives separately, demanded compensation for Asmina. “The government should provide a job to my sister-in-law and give financial assistance to the family.”
The family members denied allegations that Rakbar Khan was smuggling cattle. They said he had borrowed ~50,000 from his mother-in-law and the rest from friends. “We keep these cows and make some money from their milk. We already have three. Why will Rakbar steal anyone’s cow,” Asmina said. “Had he indulged in illegal transport of cattle, he could have built a nice house and we would not be living in this small shabby house.”
Meanwhile, the victim’s father Sulaiman Mev rejected claims that his son was a cow smuggler. “He left home on Friday morning saying he was going to take goats for grazing. This morning, I was told that he has been killed,” the father said.
“My son is not a ‘gau taskar’ (cow smuggler). I don’t believe in what the people and police are saying. We are a poor family and my son used to work as a labourer in a stone mine,” said Sulaiman, father of seven children. He demanded strict action against all the accused.
Sher Mohammad, sarpanch of Mev Panchayat in Alwar, said that when Union ministers felicitate lynching accused, then vigilantes get encouraged to kill innocents, referring to minister Jayant Sinha’s act in Jharkhand.