Pehlu Khan lynched in 2017, Rajasthan police files chargesheet against him

New Delhi: The Rajasthan Police has filed a chargesheet against Pehlu Khan, two years after he was lynched by a mob of cow vigilantes in Alwar.

It has been filed against Pehlu Khan, his sons for transporting cattle allegedly without permission in Rajasthan. They were transporting cows that they had bought at a cattle fair in state capital Jaipur to their home in Haryana. Khan and his sons were stopped on the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway by cow vigilantes and were severely beaten up.

The police chargesheeted Khan's sons Irsad (25) and Arif (22) under sections 5, 8 and 9 while charges have been framed against the deceased under section 6 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995.

The chargesheet against Khan was prepared on December 30 last year; 13 days after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's government came into power in Rajasthan.

Section 5 of the RBA Act pertains to the prohibition of the export of bovine animals for the purpose of slaughter and regulation of temporary migration or export for other purposes, while section 6 says the transporter is also an abettor and is liable for the same punishment as the person committing the offence.

Section 8 is about the penalty for such offences while Section 9 mentions punishment for causing hurt to a bovine animal.

In 2018, the previous BJP government in the state had filed a similar chargesheet against two associates of Khan, who were also attacked by the mob.

There were two FIRs registered in the case. One was against the mob for beating Khan to death and second against him and his family for transporting cattle (cow) illegally out of the state.

The police had earlier given a clean chit to the six people accused of lynching Khan, a dairy farmer. The police's decision was reportedly based on statements of the staff of a cow shelter and mobile phone records.

The case against Pehlu Khan will be closed as he has died, but it will continue against his sons.