Pehlu Khan case: Rajasthan govt files appeal in High Court challenging acquittal

Rajasthan government has filed an appeal in the High Court challenging the acquittal of six accused by a lower court in connection with the lynching of Pehlu Khan in the year 2017.

According to Additional Advocate General Major RP Singh, the state government had filed an appeal in the matter in the Rajasthan High Court on October 14.

A special investigation team (SIT), which was set up to probe and identify lapses and irregularities in the police investigation in the lynching case, had in September submitted its report to the Rajasthan government.

The state government had announced constitution of the SIT to probe afresh the case after a Rajasthan court on August 14 acquitted all six men accused of lynching Pehlu Khan on the benefit of doubt.

On April 1 in 2017, Khan, a 55-year-old dairy farmer from Haryana's Nuh, was beaten up by self-styled cow vigilantes near Behror in Rajasthan on the Delhi-Alwar highway. He had succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital two days later.

An amateur video of the incident that had also gone viral showed Khan being beaten up by a mob, thrown to the ground and kicked.

Two FIRs were filed in the case- one against the attackers and the other accusing Khan and his sons with allegedly transporting cattle without requisite permissions.

Three, of the nine people accused of his murder, were underage.