Pehlu Khan lynching case: Rajasthan court acquits all six accused
A local court in Rajasthan's Alwar on Wednesday acquitted all six accused in the 2017 Pehlu Khan lynching case, citing lack of evidence. The verdict was pronounced by the court of Additional District Judge, Sarita Swami. The trial concluded on August 7. 55-year-old Khan was lynched by a mob of cow vigilantes on his way to Haryana's Nuh, in April 2017. Here are the details.
More than 40 witnesses deposed in the case
More than 40 witnesses, including Khan's two sons, were deposed in the case. An FIR was registered against six men under various sections of the IPC, including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 308 (culpable homicide), 379 (theft) and 427 (destruction of property). The charge of murder was added upon Khan's death.
We expect life imprisonment for the accused: Khan's lawyer
Ahead of today's verdict, Pehlu Khan's lawyer, Qasim Khan said that he expected life imprisonment for the accused. "There was political pressure in the case. We expect life imprisonment for the seven accused on whom the verdict will be pronounced today," he had said.
Backstory: Khan, his two sons were thrashed by cow vigilantes
To recall, in 2017, Pehlu Khan (55)- a resident of Jaisinghpur village, Mewat- and his two sons were transporting cows, allegedly without permission. The cows were bought at a Jaipur cattle fair and were being driven to their home in Haryana via the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway, when they were stopped by a cow vigilante mob, and thrashed. Khan died in hospital two days later.
Two minor accused are still facing charges in the case
Notably, there were a total of nine accused in the case, including three minors. While six have been cleared of charges, the accused minors are still under trial in a juvenile court.
