Accused in Pehlu Khan Murder Case Let Off; Family terms it Travesty of Justice
AMN / NEW DELHI
The Rajasthan Police’s clean chit to all the six accused named in lynching Pehlu Khan has sparked an outrage against the Vasundhra led BJP government in state.
While the enraged family members of slain Pehlu Khan has decided to move to the Supreme Court to challenge the police’s closure report, activists and community leaders said it is one more instance of “manipulating” the criminal justice system to save the accused having the link with RSS and its sister organizations.
Pehlu Khan son Irshad has urged that the case be taken out of the state and that his family’s only hope is now with the Supreme Court.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has attacked the BJP government in Rajasthan for denying justice to the family of Pehlu Khan, a 55-year-old dairy farmer who was lynched to death by cow vigilantes in Alwar in April this year.
This comes a day after the Rajasthan Police found no evidence against the 6 people Pehlu Khan had named as accused in his dying declaration. The police subsequently removed their names from the FIR and dropped charges against them.
Irshad told media that his father and others tried to show them (cow-vigilantes) papers that they were dairy farmers who were bringing the cows for dairy farming from a government fair (mela) but they tore up the papers and attacked us.
We will move to the apex court challenging the Rajasthan Police’s Crime Investigation Department-Crime Branch (CID-CB) closure report giving clean chit to the six accused named my father, he said.
ADG (CID-CB), Pankaj Kumar Singh claimed that the clean chit was given on the basis of statements of those present at the scene of the crime, photographs, and mobile phone location records. He said nine others, however, will face criminal charges.
Reacting to the development, All India Kisan Sabha general secretary, and former MP Hanan Mollah of CPM said it is unfortunate that system is being used to get free the accused who have the connection with the ruling party and its parent organization. Talking to Caravan Daily, Mollah said all the accused in terror cases are being released one by one on bail.
The All India Kisan Sabha had held protest in Jaipur and Alwar for the arrest of main and real cow vigilantes involved in the murder of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan who was brutally beaten by them in April this year at Beuhor Road, Alwar in Rajasthan when he was returning to his home village Jaisinghpura in Mewat along with his sons and cattle from Jaipur.
Peoples Union of Civil Liberties’ Rajasthan unit expressed dismay over the Police report accusing the police of protecting cow vigilantes since the beginning. State president Kavita Srivastava alleged that the case was transferred to Crime Branch of CID-CB to close the case by the BJP-led state government.
“We completely disagree and don’t think any inquiry has happened by the CID. First, the case was investigated by local police then it came to the Additional Superintendent of Police under the IG supervision and then this case was transferred to the home minister. It was brought to CID for closure,” alleged Kavita.
Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) also expressed grave concern over the development. It amply reflects that investigative agencies are working under political pressure to save those accused having the connection with the ruling party or its affiliates, Party vice president and noted lawyer Mohammad Sharfuddin told Caravan Daily.