India

Alwar lynching: Clean chit to all six named by Pehlu Khan on death bed

Video grab shows the attack on Pehlu Khan

The accused were found not guilty based on the statements by the staff of a cow shelter as well as with their mobile phone records

Jaipur: The Rajasthan Police have closed investigations into six people named by dairy farmer Pehlu Khan before his death in a mob attack in April this year.

Pehlu Khan, 55, and others were allegedly attacked by ‘gau rakshaks’ in Alwar on April 1 while they were on their way to Haryana after purchasing cattle in Rajasthan.

Khan succumbed to his injuries two days later.

In his statement to police, Khan had named Hukum Chand, Navin Sharma, Jagmal Yadav, Om Prakash, Sudheer and Rahul Saini among those who had attacked him.

Khan was transporting cows from a market in Jaipur to his home in Nuh, Haryana, when he was lynched by alleged cow vigilantes near Alwar. Khan had the necessary permit to transport the cows for his dairy business.

According to the investigation report, police have found the six men, three of whom are linked to Hindu right-wing organisations, not guilty based on the statements by the staff of a cow shelter as well as mobile phone records.

The staff of the cow shelter, Rath Gaushala, has maintained that the six accused were present on their premises, which is about four-km from the attack site. The cow shelter is patronised by Jagmal Yadav.

The police verdict has angered Khan’s family, who maintain they heard the accused call out each other by their names during the attack.

“These six men started the attack and were present there. As we were being thrashed, I heard them call each other’s name. One was saying Hukum, drag the men down here and break the pickup truck,” Irshad, Khan’s son told Hindustan Times.

Irshad, who was injured in the assault, said he heard the names of Om, Hukum, Sudhir and Rahul during the lynching.

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