Harish Jatav who died at a Delhi hospital late on Thursday

ALWAR: A 28-year-old Dalit youth died late Thursday night, two days after he was allegedly beaten by a mob in Alwar ’s Fasla village under Chopanki police station area following a road accident. Harish Jatav had been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi.

His body was handed over to family members after post-mortem on Friday. According to police, the incident took place on Tuesday evening when Jatav’s bike hit a woman, identified as Hakiman, around 7pm on the Bhiwadi-Chopanki road in the district.

Angry locals allegedly thrashed Jatav severely, knocking him unconscious. The profusely bleeding youth was taken to a hospital in nearby Tapukara area from where he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.

Alwar SP Paris Deshmukh, however, said that there was no evidence to indicate that the youth’s death was a case of mob lynching.

“Police had received information about an accident on the Bhiwadi-Chopanki road. When the patrolling party reached the spot, it spotted Hakiman and Harish lying on the road. Hakiman’s family took her to the hospital, while the police took Harish to the hospital after informing his family members,” Deshmukh said. Jatav, a resident of Jhinvana village, used to drive trucks for a living. He is survived by his wife, four daughters and a blind father.

Complaints have been lodged by both parties in the matter. Jatav’s family alleged that one Umar Sher and his aides beat up the youth, leading to his death in the hospital. An FIR under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 343 (wrongful restraint) and other sections of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act has been registered. The other FIR under IPC Section 279 (rash driving) was filed by Hakiman’s husband Jamaluddin. In his complaint, he alleged that his wife was crossing the road when a speeding bike hit her and she fell unconscious.

He alleged that Harish was heavily drunk. “We have registered both the FIRs and the case is under investigation. We cannot call it a case of mob lynching until a detailed post-mortem report is prepared by the doctors,” Deshmukh said.

