Rajasthan: Court Acquits Six Accused In Pehlu Khan Case, Congress Government To Appeal Against Order In HC

An additional district judge’s (ADJ) court in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Wednesday (14 August) acquitted six men who were accused in the Pehlu Khan lynching case. The court acquitted the accused giving them benefit of doubt as the probe done by police in the case had serious shortcomings, reports Times of India.

The Rajasthan Congress government has said that it would appeal against the court’s verdict in the High Court.

In her order, ADJ Sarita Swami noted that the police investigation had serious shortcomings and as such the accused had a right to the benefit of the doubt.

According to the report, the shortcomings pointed out by the judge included the fact that the people named by Pehlu Khan before his death were not charged while thos who were later charged were not identified by the complainants though this was mandatory under section 161 of CrPC.

“Neither the video on the basis of which the accused were chargesheeted nor the phone on which the video was shot was seized and produced before the court. This shows serious negligence by the investigating officer,” the judge noted.

Besides, the court noted that lawyer of the accused had claimed that Khan was suffering from a heart ailment and that this was established by a doctor’s report presented in the court by the prosecution itself.

Following the verdict in the case, the Congress government in Rajasthan has decided to appeal against the order in the High Court.

“Our state government has enacted a law against mob lynching in first week of August 2019. We are committed to ensuring justice for family of late Sh Pehlu Khan. State government will file appeal against order of ADJ (sic),” State Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted.