Janjivan Bureau / Jaipur : In a controversial development, the Rajasthan Police has filed a charge sheet in the Alwar lynching case and has booked the deceased Pehlu Khan for cow smuggling. Khan was beaten to death for alleged cow smuggling in Rajasthan’s Alwar in 2017, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the investigation in the case was done by the former BJP government.
Within five months of the incidence, Rajasthan Police gave a clean chit to six men accused of killing Khan.
Khan was beaten to death on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway in Alwar in April 2017 while he and his sons were bringing cattle bought from a fair in Jaipur to their home in Haryana’s Nuh.
The chargesheet posthumously declares Pehlu Khan a “cow smuggler” and accuses him under different sections of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act, 1995.
The charge sheet posthumously accused Khan of smuggling, however, on the contrary, his supporters and protesters have maintained otherwise, and said that he was only transporting cattle for the sake of selling and buying
The charge sheet, along with Khan also names the owner of the pick-up truck that was used to transporting the cattle on the day when lynching had taken place.
Khan was charged under Section 5, 8 and 9 of Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 and Rules, 1995.
His sons Irshaad (25) and Aareef (22) have also been booked for cow smuggling and slaughter. The chargesheet also names a pick-up driver.
Police sources said two FIRs were filed in the case. While one was against eight people for mob lynching, the other was against Khan and his sons for transporting cattle without due permission from the administration. The eight accused of mob lynching are out on bail.
Behror Station House Officer Sugandh Singh said: “Seven cases were registered against Khan and seven challans were presented in court. Trial is on in these cases in court.”
“This chargesheet against him was filed on December 30, 2018, days after the formation of the Congress government in Rajasthan,” Singh added.
Criticising the Congress over the chargesheet, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted: “Congress in ‘power’ is a replica of the BJP, Muslims of Rajasthan must realise this, reject such individuals/organisations who are brokers of the Congress party and start developing their own independent political platform. 70 years is a long time. Please CHANGE.”
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the investigation in the case was done by the former BJP government. “Only the chargesheet has been filed under our government. We will probe if there were any discrepancies in the investigation under the Vasundhara Raje government. A fresh investigation will be ordered if anything wrong is revealed,” he said.
However, former BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja said Khan was a repeat offender. “Even his brothers, sons and other relatives were involved in the crime. In fact, all allegations made against cow vigilantes and the Hindu Parishad were wrong,” he added.
“Villagers caught Khan while he was smuggling cows. He died in police custody. Now, the Congress should not take credit for his arrest as the Congress at that time helped the family get financial help,” Ahuja said.
In a controversial development, the Rajasthan Police filed a charge sheet in the Alwar lynching case and booked the deceased Pehlu Khan for cow smuggling.
Responding over the development, Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has stated that while the investigation in the case was carried out under the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government, the charge sheet has been filed under the current Cong government.
He has also stated that he will order fresh probe in the investigation carried out by the former BJP government.
“This incident took place under the previous government, which the entire country condemned. Nobody has the right to kill anyone and break the law. People who break the law should be punished. Congress has always condemned such incidents. The case has been presented in the court who killed them. This case is of two men, Pehlu Khan and the transporter. The previous government investigated the matter and presented the charge sheet in the court on December 30, 18. But his children had gone to the High Court to get an anticipatory bail and they got the bail. The investigation in the case was done under the previous BJP government. Congress party’s stand in the entire country, what Rahul Gandhi’s feelings have been, is to condemn those elements which slaughter the cows. We are not going to spare those who do the crime,” Ashok Gehlot said.
In the charge sheet, Pehlu Khan has been posthumously accused of smuggling cattle, however, on the contrary, his supporters and protesters have maintained otherwise, and said that he was only transporting cattle for the sake of selling and buying.
The dairy farmer was thrashed by an angry mob back in 2017 in Rajasthan’s Alwar for transporting cattle. Within five months of the incidence, Rajasthan Police gave a clean chit to six men accused of killing Pehlu Khan.
He was charged under Section 5, 8 and 9 of Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 and Rules, 1995.
