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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Alwar_mob_lynching
The 2017 Alwar mob
lynching was the attack and murder of Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer from Nuh district of Haryana, by a group of 200 cow vigilantes affiliated
with right-wing Hindutva groups in Alwar, Rajasthan, India.[3][4][5] Six others who were with Pehlu Khan were also beaten by
the cow vigilantes.
In the last two years, ten Muslim men have been killed in such
incidents across India by Hindu mobs on suspicion of eating beef or smuggling
cows.[6] The Supreme Court has
issued notices to Rajasthan along with four other Indian states (Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka) and to the central government asking for
a ban on such groups.[8]
Both Rajasthan, the location of the attack, and Haryana are
currently led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and cow vigilante
groups are active in these states.
The victim was Pehlu Khan, a 55-year old resident Jaisinghpur
village, in Nuh tehsil of
Mewat. On 31 March, he left his village for Jaipurto purchase dairy cattle. Khan
was one of only 10 dairy farmers in his village, and he was hoping to increase
milk production for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.[10]
On 1 April, Khan, along with six others, was returning from
Jaipur to his village in Nuh, Haryana, carrying cows and calves. They were
stopped near Jaguwas crossing at Jaipur-Delhi national highway by 200 cow
vigilantes. Khan showed a Jaipur civic document as proof the cows had been
bought for milk.[3] According to Irshad,
the son of Pehlu Khan who with him, "We had all the relevant papers to
show that we were carrying the cows for dairy farming.[11] We
showed them the receipt of sale and purchase. But they were in no mood to
listen to us. They tore our documents and attacked my father in front of my
eyes."[12]
Despite the documentation, Khan and others were dragged out of
their vehicles.[13] The
mob beat them with rods and sticks.[13] Pehlu
Khan later died from his injuries, whilst others, though seriously injured,
survived.[6][9]
The perpetrators also reportedly robbed the victims of their
cellphones and wallets (the victims said they lost Rs. 110,000).
Police have arrested three
people; Kalu Ram aged 44 of Ratanpura, Vipin Yadav aged 19, and Ravindra Yadav
aged 30 from Behror.[6]Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured justice for the lynching incident.
The incident was widely
condemned, and many called for the government to crack down on cow-protection
vigilante groups.
Rajasthan's Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria defended
the cow vigilantes, describing their deed as "alright" and blaming
the victims for illegally transporting animals[16] though
the victims had documents from Jaipur
Municipal Corporation for the purchase of cows.[17]Initially, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also
denied the incident and stated "Alwar gau rakshak attack did not
happen",[18] but
later admitted the incident and tried to clarify his earlier remark.[19]
Federal Minister Hansraj Ahir condemned the incident.[20]
Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi condemned
the killing.
Sadhvi Kamal Didi praised
the vigilantes accused of carrying out the lynching. Kamal Didi is the
president of Rasthriya Mahila Gau Rakshak Dal, a cow-protection group.[21] She equated the accused to popular
historical Indian figures like Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad,[21] saying the vigilantes of today will
"be known as heroes in the future"