Kolgaon, Nuh: An overhead sign board welcomes outsiders to Kolgaon, a village in Nuh district of Haryana. From the main road branches a narrow, muddy track that leads to Rakbar Khan’s house. It has been raining incessantly for the past two-three days and people, mostly Muslims, have gathered in huge numbers outside the house to condole Rakbar’s demise. Draped in white, these people have only one grudge, and an obvious one.

“This is not the first incident of its kind. At least 7-8 such incidents have taken place earlier too. These people often beat us and snatch our buffaloes and goats. This a money minting business for them”, alleged Safi Mohammed, a relative of Rakbar Khan.

Rakbar was lynched by a mob in Rajasthan’s Alwar on suspicion of cow smuggling this Saturday. He is survived by his old parents, wife Asmina and seven kids, and ironically, a cow in his courtyard.

Rakbar Khan's daughter (Image: News18)

Rakbar Khan, along with his friend Aslam, had gone to Alwar’s Khanpur village to buy a cow. With Rs 60,000 in pocket, Rakbar purchased a cow that had recently given birth to a calf. While on his way back, the cow and the calf somehow escaped his grip near Lallawandi village and ran into the nearby cotton fields. Rakbar followed only never to return back.

Aslam was lucky enough to escape the clutches of the so-called ‘Gau-Rakshaks’. On returning back, Aslam revealed his ordeal to the villagers.

Jormal Khan, a relative of Rakbar Khan, said, “Aslam told us that the accused were bragging that the MLA was with them and nobody could even touch them. The attackers were heard saying that Rakbar’s bones be crushed but not a single drop of blood should ooze out”.

Even as reports of police laxity in the case have surfaced, Rakbar’s relatives maintain that Naval Kishore Sharma and his accomplices are the ones responsible for his death.

“Aslam informed that they were beaten up by 5 men, including one Naval Kishore Sharma, a local leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and his accomplices- Parmeet Singh, Raju, Naresh and Dharmender. All these people enjoy the patronage of BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja”, added Jormal Khan.

“This is the politics they are playing. Naval Kishore is the main culprit and he has the backing of Ahuja”, said Subhan Khan, another relative of Rakbar.

“They beat him like no one would have ever beaten. There is no bone in his body which was left unbroken. His jaw bone was crushed, his wrists were broken at about three places. These barbarians should be hanged to death”, said an angry Safi Mohammad, adding that if justice is not done, they would come on to the streets, and even march to Delhi.