NHRC notice to Raj govt over Alwar lynching case

The National Human Rights Commission today sent a notice to the Rajasthan government over the death of a 28-year-old man in Alwar district after he was allegedly thrashed by a mob on the suspicion cow-smuggling.

The national human rights commission said it has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that on July 20, Rakbar Khan, from Haryana's Mewat district, was attacked by a group of 8-10 cow vigilantes in Alwar and succumbed to injuries a few hours later.

"The cow vigilantes have, reportedly, alleged that the victim died in police custody and not because of mob violence as claimed by the authorities. There are further reports in the print media that it took Alwar police more than three hours to travel six kms while taking a critically-injured victim of lynching to the closest hospital, the Community Health Centre in Ramgarh," the NHRC said in a statement.

The commission has observed that the contents of the news reports, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the state's Director General of Police, seeking reports in the matter within two weeks.

According to the reports, carried on July 22, the victim, in his dying statement, told the police that he and his friend were walking back with two cows they had bought when they came under attack in Alwar's Ramgarh area by the mob, which accused them of smuggling the cattle for slaughter, the NHRC said.