Akbar Khan Lynched in Alwar: VHP Blames Cops, Kin Blames Mob

The SC said that it will hear a plea seeking action against the Rajasthan government for not protecting the victim.

Rakbar Khan was lynched on suspicion of smuggling cattle.

(Photo: Harsh Shahani/The Quint)

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Thirty-one-year-old Rakbar Khan, also known as Akbar, was allegedly lynched by an angry mob on the suspicion that he, along with an associate, was smuggling cattle in Lalawandi village of Rajasthan's Alwar district on 20 July.

Two days after he was lynched, on Monday, 23 July, the assistant sub-inspector in-charge and three constables of the case was suspended.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that it will hear a plea seeking action against the Rajasthan government for not protecting the victim.

Eyewitnesses claim that Akbar was alive when the police arrive after the mob thrashed him.

The police came at night and they hit him. Upon asking, they told me that they have held a butcher. They took him (Akbar), and he was alive then. He was shouting and the police were still hitting him. We don’t know what happened then and when he died.

Eyewitness

Naval Sharma, who informed the police that Akbar was being beaten by a mob, claims that Akbar was fit and healthy when brought to the police station.

Akbar was completely healthy when we left him at the police station at 3. He was sitting there and we made him change clothes in there. We found him dead after we came back at 4. He was fit and sitting like how I am sitting when we had left him. The police is trapping these innocent boys. Police should capture the culprit who did this. But the police too hit him hard right in front of me. The boys who are captured were the ones who informed me and then I informed the police.

Naval Sharma,  Chief, Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Gau Raksha cell

Addressing a press conference on Monday, 23 July, Special DG NRK Reddy said that there was no information on the victim being thrashed in police custody.

Referring to Akbar having been admitted only after the seized cows were transported to a shed, Reddy said prima facie investigation had revealed an “error in judgement in deciding what was important at that point.”

Akbar Khan’s family rejects the claims of police’s alleged involvement in the killing of Akbar.

It’s the 5 men who killed my son and not the police. I do not blame police for it. My son died on the spot when he was lynched. Police came later so they have nothing to do in this case.

Suleman, Father