Akbar Khan Lynched in Alwar By a Cow Mob, Despite SC Concerns

ALWAR: Alwar, a district where Chief Minister Vasudhara Raje has established Gauraksha police stations as first reported by The Citizen (and-now-in-rajasthan-gauraksha-police-chowkis-) has witnessed yet another lynching, this time of a 28 year old Haryana resident Akbar Khan, a Mayo Muslim.

This comes after serious concerns expressed about mob lynching by the Supreme Court that lashed out against mobocracy and advocated a legislation against this. Akbar Khan along with another man were taking two cows to their village through a forest area on Friday night when they were set upon by a mob that beat him to death. The person with him managed to escape.

A case has been registered against unidentified people under IPC Section 302, the local police officer said. However, in an environment where the accused are usually not arrested, and if arrested given bail and garlanded by senior BJP ministers and leaders, it is unlikely that justice will be done.

This incident comes a year after Pehlu Khan was beaten to death by a cow lynch mob along with other members of his family who were severely injured. He was attacked on National Highway 8. The Rajasthan police, instead of apprehending the guilty, had filed FIRs against Khan after he was killed, and others with him.

Alwar with its gauraksha police stations has become home to such attacks. Umar Khan was found dead near the railways tracks in the district last November. His family said that he was killed by a cow mob but nothing has come of this case still.

The attack took place Friday night. Details are still emerging. The family has been informed with the body now in the mortuary awaiting postmortem. Akbar Khan was from Mewat in Haryana, a Mayo Muslim who are the target of attack of these cow mobs. Reports suggest that several members of the community have gathered at the mortuary refusing to take the body until justice is done. They point out that in the past targeted incidents of lynching, assault, beatings the assailants have not even been arrested with the police reluctant to file FIRs.