NHRC notice to the Government of Rajasthan over reported mob lynching of a man in Alwar (26.07.2018)

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 26th July, 2018
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that on the 20th July, 2018, a 31-year old man, Rakbar Khan, from Haryana's Mewat district was attacked by a group of 8-10 cow vigilantes in Rajasthan Alwar district, who succumbed to injuries a few hours later. The cow vigilantes have, reportedly, alleged that the victim died in police custody and not because of mob violence as claimed by the authorities. There are further reports in the print media that it took Alwar police more than 3 hours to travel six kms while taking a critically injured victim of lynching to the closest hospital, the Community Health Centre in Ramgarh.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news reports, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim man. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Govt. of Rajasthan calling for reports in the matter within two weeks.
According to the media reports, carried on the 22nd July, 2018, the victim of mob lynching, in his dying statement, told the police that he and his friend were walking back with two cows they had bought when they came under attack in Alwar's Ramgarh area by the mob, which accused them of being smugglers taking the cattle for slaughter. Reportedly, rather than saving the life of the victim, the two cows recovered from him seemed to have been the priority of police. The cows were taken to gaushala 10 kms away, a good one hour before the victim of mob lynching was brought to the CHC, dead.
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