6 held in Pehlu Khan case let off by cops

Was killed by cow vigilantes Nine continue to face charges

Jaipur: The Rajasthan police has given a clean chit to six persons named by 55-yearold Pehlu Khan, who died after being lynched by a mob of cow vigilantes in Alwar district earlier this year. Nine other accused in the case, however, continue to face criminal charges.

Five months after the alleged murder of Pehlu Khan by cow vigilantes, the Rajasthan police has found no case against six of the accused. Nine others will continue to face charges.

The state CID-crime branch, which took over investigations in July, has concluded that the six men were not present when Pehlu Khan was attacked. The police has said that these six men are also not seen in photos or video footage of the attack and that their mobile phone records show they were about 4 km away during the attack.

“Six persons have been given a clean chit in the investigation into the Pehlu Khan case. Nine others, however, will face criminal charges,” ADG Pankaj Kumar Singh said. The six persons given clean chit by the police include Hukum Chand, Om Prakash, Sudhir Yadav, Rahul Saini, Navin Sharma and Jagmal Yadav. The police has also withdrawn the `5,000 reward announced on each of the six accused.

However, before his death Khan had reportedly named these six persons in his statement among those who attacked him and those accompanying him. He had identified them as they were calling each other by their name at the time of attack. They also claimed that they were members of VHP and Bajrang Dal. According to his statement, they told the victims that anyone carrying cows through Behror would meet the same fate.

Khan, a dairy farmer along with some of his family members transporting cattle to Haryana on April 1, when their vehicles were intercepted by cow vigilantes in Behror in Alwar district of Rajasthan bordering Haryana and Delhi. They were mercilessly beaten up by the mob. Khan later succumbed to his injuries. The police had arrested seven people after the attack based on video footage; all but two were released on bail.

Meanwhile, patron of Alwar district Meo panchayat Sher Mohammed has said that the police have acted under pressure of Hindu organisations. He said that the community will now take the matter to the high court to seek justice.

After Khan’s death, the state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria not only downplayed the incident by claiming that both the sides were guilty but also claimed that Khan was a cow smuggler. Immediately, after Khan’s death he had said, “Dono side se hai jab malum hai ki Rajasthan se gau taskari nahi ho sakti, kanoon bana hua hai.” (Both sides are aware that smuggling of cows is illegal.)

Later, when the leader of the Opposition raised the matter in the state Assembly, Mr Kataria alleged that Khan had three cases of cow smuggling against him. “Anyone carrying cattle illegally is a smuggler. Khan did not have valid documents. He already had three cases of cow smuggling registered against him,” he said.

Although, much later chief minister Vasundhara Raje after a letter of protest from bureaucrats and civil society activists said, “Such activities won’t be tolerated in Rajasthan.”