Alwar lynching: Police admit 'error of judgement', 4 cops face action for negligence

An assistant sub-inspector was suspended and three constables were shifted to Police Lines after media reports have alleged negligence on the part of police in the Alwar lynching case.

NRK Reddy, Rajasthan Special Director General of Police. Photo: ANI

ALWAR: An assistant sub-inspector was suspended and three constables were shifted to Police Lines after media reports have alleged negligence on the part of police in the Alwar lynching case. A four-member committee, constituted by the Rajasthan Police to look into the delay in taking 28-year-old Akbar Khan to the hospital, suspended the ASI and shifted three other constables to police lines, Special DGP (law and order) NRK Reddy said at a press conference in Alwar. “Three accused have been arrested. The Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) has been suspended and three constables have been sent to district lines. A thorough investigation is being done in the matter,” Reddy said. The Rajasthan Police also admitted "error of judgement" in handling the case. "Since the policemen thought the victim was not serious, they decided to take him to the police station first so that the cows could be first shifted to a shelter. They also offered him water and tea, so it appeared an error of judgment," Additional Director General (law and order) N R K Reddy, a member of the enquiry panel, told PTI. Also a video purportedly showing ASI Mohan Singh, who was posted at the Ramgarh police station, admitting to his "mistake", went viral on the social media. "Mere se galti hogai...kaise bhi maan lo..saja de do ya chhodh do...seedhi si baat hai(I made a mistake...punish me or pardon me...it is simple and straight)," the ASI can be heard purportedly saying in the video. On Saturday night, Rakbar alias Akbar Khan was lynched in the district's Ramgarh area on the suspicion of cow smuggling. He was taking the cows to his village in Haryana. Several media reports pointed out the 'callous' approach of the cops who before taking the injured to a hospital ensured that the cows reach a shelter home. It is alleged that when the incident happened in Lalawandi village in Alwar, it took over two-and-a-half hours for the police to take the victim to the Ramgarh Community Healthcare Centre, which is nearly 4 km away. The cops first took the two cows to a gaushala 10km away from the spot, before taking the victim to the hospital. By the time Rakbar was taken to the hospital, he had already died. Not only this, the policemen allegedly stopped on the way to have tea before heading to the hospital. The investigation into the lynching of 28-year-old Akbar Khan handed over to an additional SP rank officer by the IG of Jaipur range. Director General of Police O.P. Galhotra said the team will find out why so much time was wasted in transporting Rakbar after he was beaten up in Alwar district on Saturday. The team will include senior officers N.R.K. Reddy, P.K. Singh, Hemant Priyadarshi and Mahendra Singh Chaudhary. (With inputs from PTI)