Pehlu Khan’s family in Haryana’s Jaisinghpur have not had a moment of peace in the last three days. Khan, father to eight children, succumbed to injuries at a hospital after he was brutally thrashed by a mob on the Behror highway in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Monday. The mob, reportedly populated by members Gau Rakshaks or cow vigilantes attacked around 15 men, including two of Pehlu’s sons over allegations of cow smuggling.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Pehlu’s oldest son Irshad says he had produced valid receipts for the four milk-cows they purchased from a cattle fair in Jaipur. But the mob was in no mood to listen, and tore the receipts, he adds. What followed was a brutal assault, that ultimately led to Pehlu’s death and left his sons in deep pain.
Both Irshad and his younger brother Arif claim that the mob had targeted them for being Muslims. Their driver was let free, purportedly because he was a Hindu. The duo also alleged that they would have been set on fire, had the police not arrived in time.
Having lost their sole-breadwinner in the unholy politics over cow protection, the family now demands the strongest possible punishment for the culprits. So far, police have arrested three Behror residents in connection with the incident.
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
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