Finally, Dalits’ kin get some relief

Earlier in the day, Chautala had dismissed any such suggestions. ‘‘The dependents of all but one victim need jobs. The others are all gainfully employed,’’ he had said dismissively.

But what seems to have unnerved the Haryana strongman is tomorrow’s proposed rally in Jhajjhar by BSP leader and UP CM Mayawati.

To rub salt into the bereaved families’ wounds, Chautala had earlier told them that he was ‘‘too busy with his listed engagements to have visited them earlier.’’

He had also refused to order a judicial probe into the incident, saying that neither the Centre nor any party had asked for it. ‘‘Even the victims’ families did not ask me,’’ he had claimed.

Ruling out any ‘‘conspiracy’’ behind the killings, he had said: ‘‘Parties are now fiddling with a sensitive situation and giving it a communal and casteist colour.’’

He claimed that the leaders of the mob that killed the men had been identified. Quoting police reports, however, he had given a clean chit to the slain men. The post-mortem report of the dead cow had revealed that it had died at least 24 hours before it was confiscated, he had said.

The victims, who dealt in animal hide, had duly purchased the cow from a Muslim trader, who in turn had picked it up from Farooqnagar on Oct 14.