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Journalism of Courage
The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday granted bail to another accused in 55-year-old dairy farmer Pehlu Khan’s lynching in Alwar in April citing lack of incriminating evidence. Kaluram, 44, was one of the seven people arrested in connection with the lynching. He is the second person to get bail in the case. Another accused, Ravindra, was granted bail on July 12 as “no incriminating recovery was made” and “witnesses had not named him”.
“We argued that Kaluram’s case was similar to Ravindra’s. Kaluram was at Jagwas crossing and not at Shaheed Ramkumar crossing, which is about a kilometer ahead (of the lynching scene). So the court granted him bail,” said a lawyer representing Kaluram on the condition of anonymity. “They were not involved in the assault in any way.”
Investigating officer Ramesh Chand Sinsinwar told the court that they had not found Kaluram’s “active role” in the lynching. He said that Kaluram’s presence is confirmed at Jagwas as per evidence.
Lawyer Amir Aziz opposed the bail. “It is curious that the investigating officer himself conceded that Kaluram did not have any active role. If so, why was he arrested in the first place?” he asked. “We argued that if the mob is going to take the law in its own hands, then what is the use of courts?”
Khan and four others were on their way back home in Haryana from a cattle fair in Jaipur on April 1 when gau rakshaks attacked them in Alwar’s Behror. The mob accused of them being cattle smugglers. Khan succumbed to his injuries two days later. None of the six accused named in Khan’s complaint have been arrested.
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