Pehlu Khan lynching: A look at the case so far

india

Updated: Aug 14, 2019 18:33 IST

A court in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Wednesday acquitted six men accused of lynching dairy farmer Pehlu Khan on April 1, 2017.

Pehlu Khan, 55, was attacked by alleged cow vigilantes in Alwar on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway. Khan and five others were transporting cattle from a weekly market in Jaipur to their village in Nuh, Haryana. Khan died in a hospital two days later.

THE PEHLU KHAN CASE SO FAR

The 55-year-old dairy farmer was waylaid by a mob in Alwar on April 1 and beaten up mercilessly.

2017

April 1: Cow vigilantes stopped Pehlu Khan and his companions in Behror. They are accused of being cattle smugglers and assaulted. An FIR is lodged against six identified and 200 unidentified people on the basis of Khan’s statement.

April 3: Pehlu Khan passes away in hospital.

April 5: On the basis of the video recording, the police arrested three (other than six named in FIR) allegedly involved in the attack. – Vipin Yadav, 19, Ravindra Yadav, 29, and Kalu Ram Yadav, 44

April 5: Police announce a reward of ₹5,000 on the six named by Khan.

April 8: Police arrest two more accused in connection with Pehlu Khan’s death. – Dayanand Yadav, 47, and Neeraj Yadav

April 16: Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria ‘justified’ the attack and said both parties were to be blamed for Pehlu Khan’s death.

April 18: Deceased Pehlu Khan’s uncle Hussain Khan threatens to commit suicide along with his family if they are denied justice.

April 21: Controversial Hindu leader Sadhvi Kamal ‘Didi’ compares an accused in the case with freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad.

April 23: 23 former IAS officers write an open letter to Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje demanding the arrest of those involved in Khan’s death.

April 24-26: Civil society members, along with Pehlu Khan’s family, stage a two-day dharna in Jaipur demanding justice.

May: Investigating officer changed in the case for the third time. Case transferred to additional superintendent of police, Kotputli.

July: Case transferred to Crime Investigation Department- Crime Branch (CID-CB). Investigating officer changed for fourth time.

July 12: Ravindra, one of the seven arrested on the basis of video footage, granted bail.

August 9: Kaluram, another accused, gets bail.

August 31: Third accused, Vipin Yadav, gets bail.

September 1: CID-CB sends probe report to Alwar police, giving clean chit to all six named accused, who till now were absconding. It charges nine for the murder.

2018

December 30: Police complete investigation in case of cattle smuggling against Pehlu Khan, his two sons and the transporter whose pickup was used for the transport

2019

May 29: ACJM Behror court takes cognizance of the charge sheet. Pehlu’s sons are charged under sections 5, 8 and 9 of the RBA Act, and transporter charged under section 6 of the Act as abettor

June 29: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot denied reports that police have charged Pehlu Khan with smuggling.

June 30: Civil society organization write to CM to demand withdrawal of cases against Khan’s sons

August 7: Arguments complete in ADJ -1 Alwar court.

August 14: All six accused acquitted