Rajasthan govt to form SIT to re-investigate Alwar lynching case

The Congress government on Friday announced to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe afresh the Alwar lynching case.

Pehlu Khan, a cattle trader, was beaten to death allegedly by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes on suspicion of cow smuggling in Alwar district 2017.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here and came two days after all six accused in the case were acquited by a lower court on the benefit of doubt.

The SIT will probe and identify lapses and irregularities in the police investigation.

The team will be headed by Deputy Inspector General SOG Nitindeep Ballagan and also comprise SP, CB-CID Sameer Kumar Singh and Additional SP, Vigilance, Samir Dubey.

It will submit its report within 15 days.

Documents and oral evidence which were not collected before in the case will be collected by the SIT, the government said.

After the investigation, the government will approach the higher court against the district court's order and will take the help of a senior lawyer.

Following the verdict on Wednesday, Gehlot had said that the government will appeal against it and had a clear position that no form of mob lynching should take place.