My Government Didn't Name Pehlu Khan In Chargesheet: Ashok Gehlot

After a controversy broke over Alwar lynch mob victim Pehlu Khan being named in a charge sheet, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday sought to clarify that the killed dairy farmer was not charged by his government.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. PTI (File)

ALWAR: After a controversy broke over Alwar lynch mob victim Pehlu Khan being named in a charge sheet, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday sought to clarify that the killed dairy farmer was not charged by his government. The issue triggered a row with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi charging that the Congress in power was the "replica of the BJP". Owaisi was reacting to earlier reports that Pehlu Khan was also chargesheeted. Stressing that his Congress is "ideologically committed against any kind of lynching anywhere in the country and our government is vigilant to ensure it will not have happened again", Gehlot, in a series of tweets, said that the "news reported in Indian Express is factually incorrect". "Name of Late Pehlu Khan is not there in the chargesheet submitted by Rajasthan Police in December 2018. This is a separate case which was registered and investigated under previous government in 2017-18 against (Khan's sons) Mr Arif, Mr Irshad and Mr Khan Mohd (Transporter), ".. since accused name in the chargesheet were not present at the time of the submission in December 2018, the District court accepted the Challan on 24th May 2019. However, our government will see if investigation was done with predetermined intentions," he tweeted. "The chargesheet was accepted by the court on May 24 against three persons under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act. Since Pehlu Khan had died, he has not been chargesheeted," Alwar Superintendent of Police Anil Paris Deshmukh told PTI.

The Congress party is ideologically committed against any kind of Lynching anywhere in the country and our government is vigilant to ensure it will not have happened again. 1/4

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 29, 2019

News reported in Indian Express is factually incorrect. Name of Late #PehluKhan is not there in the chargesheet submitted by #Rajasthan Police in December 2018. 2/4

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 29, 2019

This is a separate case which was registered and investigated under previous government in 2017-18 against Mr Arif, Mr Irshad and Mr Khan Mohd (Transporter), 3/4

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 29, 2019

since accused name in the chargesheet were not present at the time of the submission in December 2018, the District court accepted the Challan on 24thmay 2018. However, our government will see if investigation was done with predetermined intentions. 4/4

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 29, 2019

However, Pehlu Khan's name was mentioned in the summary of the chargesheet. Police maintained that the case against Pehlu Khan, his sons Irshad Khan (25) Aarif Khan (22) and truck operator Khan Mohammad stood proved in the investigation. They were charged under under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995. Pehlu Khan and his sons were thrashed by a mob on the suspicion of cow smuggling in Alwar's Behror on Aprli 1, 2017. Pehlu Khan died at a hospital in Alwar on April 3. The Rajasthan Police registered a case against the people who allegedly lynched Pehlu Khan and thrashed his companions. Six men were named in the FIR which also mentioned about 200 unidentified people. A case was also registered then against Pehlu Khan and others under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act, which allows the transportation of cattle only after getting permission from the administration. Pehlu Khan's family was shocked at these developments. His elder son Irshad said: "Our family is quite disappointed to know this. We were hoping that Congress government will withdraw case against us but its shocking to know that they have filed a charge sheet". "We were expecting justice from Congress government in state. However, this charge sheet has come like a shock." (With inputs from IANS)