Alwar lynching case: Strong evidence needed for action, says Jaipur IG

Jaipur's Inspector General of Police (IG), Hemant Priyadarshy on Friday asserted that action in connection with the Alwar lynching case will be taken on the basis of strong evidence only.

Speaking to ANI, Priyadarshy said "As regards to giving clean chit to the six people named in the FIR, it'll be relevant to say that they were named on basis of statement by Pehlu Khan. But, naming someone in an FIR is start of a case. If we get hard or strong evidence against those six then we'll act against them without much delay".

IG further stated that so far seven people have already being charge sheeted in this case.

"The case was registered on April 2; based on evidence available with us then on which we had also taken action. The day the incident took place the police had taken the injured victim to the hospital even before an FIR was logged. Only after an FIR was registered by Pehlu Khan over the incident we had arrested five accused in a span of seven days. Seven people have already being charge sheeted in this case," he said.

IG also said that the case is at its final stage as the CID has almost completed the probe.

"We (Police) have also sent proposal for financial compensation to the family of Pehlu Khan under victim compensation scheme 2011. Home Minister has also transferred the case for a very thorough professional investigation by CID. Right now the case is at a crucial and final stage as CID has almost completed the case and has given it to local police for concluding it. So till such time we can't reveal more information about the matter and to whom we are going to proceed with the supplementary charge," he added.

Earlier in the day, several civil society organisations in Rajasthan reacted strongly to the clean chit, demanding closure of cow smuggling cases against deceased Pehlu Khan's family and others.

Yesterday, the Rajasthan Police gave a clean chit to the six accused in the lynching case of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan.

The police's decision was reportedly based on statements of the staff of a cow shelter and mobile phone records.

55-year-old Pehlu from Nuh in Haryana was grievously assaulted by self-styled cow vigilantes near Behror in Rajasthan on the Delhi-Alwar highway on April 1, for being a cattle smuggler.

He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on April 3.

Earlier, the Rashtriya Mahila Gauraksha Dal national president, Sadhvi Kamal, had praised one of the cow vigilantes accused in the Alwar lynching case and referred to him as "today's Bhagat Singh.