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Negligence by Raje govt led to acquittals in Pehlu Khan case: Ashok Gehlot

A new SIT, announced by the Congress govt, will probe and identify lapses and irregularities in the police investigation during the Raje government.

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Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday blamed the previous BJP government for acquittal of accused in 2017 lynching of Pehlu Khan, saying the benefit of doubt given to the six men was due to negligence by the Vasundhara Raje government. 

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

"The negligence by the earlier government cannot be imagined, that is why accused were given the benefit of doubt by the court and were acquitted," Gehlot said after a meeting in capital Jaipur on Sunday. 

Pehlu Khan, a resident of Mewat in Haryana, and his sons were thrashed by a mob on the suspicion of cow smuggling in Alwar's Behror on Aprli 1, 2017. Pehlu Khan died at a hospital in Alwar two days later. A court in Rajasthan's Alwar district on Wednesday acquitted six accused in the alleged lynching of the cattle trader.

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

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. 

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

They were on their way to Haryana's Nuh district from Jaipur when the cow vigilantes stopped two of the vehicles on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway, attacking Pehlu Khan and others. A video of Pehlu Khan being attacked by a mob also went viral which created a huge outrage in the country. 

Police booked 6 adults and three minors in the FIR which also mentioned about 200 unidentified people.

Acquitting all adult accused, the court said it was giving the benefit of doubt to them.

(With ANI inputs)

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