The state police has arrested three people and is searching for others named in the FIR after they allegedly beat up 55-year-old Pehlu Khan.

An investigation into the killing of a Muslim dairy farmer in Rajasthan so far does not indicate the role of any member of a cow protection committee or a Hindu organisation, sources told Mail Today on Thursday.

The state police has arrested three people and is searching for others named in the FIR after they allegedly beat up 55-year-old Pehlu Khan and some of his associates on suspicions that they were transporting cows for slaughter.

The incident took place in Alwar district on Saturday, while Khan succumbed to his injuries two days later. Opposition leaders and activists have slammed the BJP governments in the state and Centre for doing nothing against vigilante groups thrashing people on the pretext of protecting cows, considered sacred by many Hindus. Rajasthan police said no innocents will be targeted but the culprits will soon be behind bars.

RS 5,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION ON ABSCONDERS

"We have announced a reward of Rs 5,000 to get the information regarding whereabouts of the absconders, who are named in the FIR," Alwar's superintendent of police Rahul Prakash told Mail Today. "The six named suspects in the FIR - Hukum Chand, Jagmal, Om Prakash, Sudheer, Rahul Saini and Navin Saini -are on the run.

The postmortem of Pehlu Khan, a resident of Haryana's Nuh district, indicated that serious internal and external injuries caused his death. "We have been awaiting Khan's viscera report from FSL (forensic lab) to find the exact cause of death," said a senior police officer.

Horrifying visuals caught on camera show a man being brutally thrashed by goons in broad daylight in the middle of a highway over suspicions of cow smuggling.

Critics say vigilantes have been emboldened by the election in 2014 of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party whose members have been pushing for a nationwide ban on cow slaughter.

ATTACK RESULT OF SUDDEN PROVOCATION?

According to sources, during interrogation, Vipin Yadav (19), Ramdeen Yadav (30) and Kalu Ram Yadav (44), who were arrested after being identified from videos that were circulated on social media, told cops that the attack was a result of sudden provocation.

"The police had sought two-day remand, but managed to get only one day. The interrogation will lead to other people involved in the crime and also their association with any Hindu organisation, if any. However, these three accused have no association with any cow protection group (Gau Raksha Samiti). Police are also trying to identify most of the 200 vigilantes who attacked Khan and injured six others while they were transporting dozens of cows into a neighbouring state," said a police officer.

Shortly before the attack on April 1, cops said they had arrested 11 people and rescued 28 bovines. "The cattle were being transported in six pick-up vans. While police intercepted four of them, two were attacked by the cow vigilantes," said an officer. In Rajasthan, the slaughter of bovine animals is punishable with imprisonment for a minimum of one year and maximum of ten years.

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