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Rajasthan police file chargesheet against mob lynching victim Pehlu Khan

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Rajasthan police file chargesheet against mob lynching victim Pehlu Khan

Outrage and shock followed reports of Rajasthan Police filing a chargesheet against a man lynched to death over two years ago by a group of ‘gau rakshaks’. The incident happened under BJP government when Vasundhara Raje was chief minister, but the chargesheet came under the current government headed by Ashok Gehlot.

Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer, was beaten to death by ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow vigilantes) in April 2017 when he was transporting cattle. Rajasthan Police have named him posthumously in the chargesheet filed in the court, accusing him of cow smuggling.

Earlier, Pehlu Khan’s family had claimed they had valid papers and permits to show they were transporting cattle lawfully but the attackers tore up the papers and started beating them up.

Pehlu Khan was a 55-year-old resident of Jaisinghpur village of Nuh district in Mewat. He and his two sons had left village to purchase cattle in order to increase milk produce for Ramzan. They were on their way back with cows that they had bought at a cattle fair in state capital Jaipur to their home in Haryana, when a group of self-proclaimed gau rakshaks stopped them on the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway. Surrounded by a mob of cow vigilantes, Khan had tried to save himself by showing his purchase receipts, but the mob beat them up.

As is the practice in such mob lynchings, the assault was recorded on a cell-phone and circulated. It showed a group of men grabbing Pehlu Khan by the neck, throwing him to the ground and kicking and hitting him. Khan died in hospital two days later.

Rajasthan Police registered separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in the case, one against eight people who allegedly lynched Pehlu Khan, another against him and his sons for transporting cattle allegedly without the district collector’s permission and one against transporter.

All the eight accused are out on bail and two of them are untraceable, reported NDTV.

The latest chargesheet was filed by the Rajasthan government in the second FIR. The case against Pehlu Khan will be closed as he has died, but it will continue against his sons. The chargesheet also names the owner of the pick-up truck that was used for transporting the cattle on April 1, 2017, when the lynching took place near Behror.

The latest chargesheet, in which Pehlu Khan has been posthumously charged, was prepared on December 30 last year, after the new Congress government came into power in Rajasthan that month. It was presented in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Behror on May 29 this year.

The chargesheet accuses Khan and his sons under sections 5, 8 and 9 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 and Rules, 1995, reported The Indian Express (IE).

Khan’s eldest son Irshad (25), who is named in the chargesheet, told IE: “We lost our father in the attack by cow vigilantes and now we have been charged as cow smugglers. We had hoped that the new Congress government in Rajasthan will review and withdraw the case against us but now a chargesheet has been filed against us. We hoped for justice after the government change but that didn’t happen.”

Last year, the previous BJP government in Rajasthan had filed a similar chargesheet against Azmat and Rafique, two associates of Khan who were also attacked by the mob that also targeted the truck driver Arjun. Jagdish Prasad, the owner of the pick-up, was also charged under Section 6 of the Act.

“After complete investigation in the matter, offences under section 5, 8, 9 RBA Act has been proved against accused Irshad, Aarif and Pehlu Khan while offences under Section 6 RBA Act has been proved against accused Khan Mohammed,” states the current chargesheet filed against FIR number 253/17 of Behror police station, Alwar.

In 2017, police filed two separate FIRs under the RBA Act because two separate pick-ups were attacked – one owned by Jagdish and driven by Arjun and in the second pick-up, owned by Mohammed, Pehlu Khan and his sons were aboard.

While one case was filed against Azmat, Rafique, Arjun and later Jagdish, in which the chargesheet was filed last year, a second FIR was filed against Pehlu Khan and his two sons.

In the second case, Mohammed was also made an accused after police found during the probe that he owned the pick-up in which Pehlu was travelling.

Section 5 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 and Rules, 1995 pertains to prohibition of the export of bovine animals for the purpose of slaughter and regulation of temporary migration or export for other purposes.

Also Read: Congress leadership crisis – several of the younger office bearers resign

According to Section 6, the transporter is also an abettor and is liable for the same punishment as the person committing the offence. Section 8 is about the penalty for such offences while Section 9 mentions punishment for causing hurt to a bovine animal.

The issue soon snowballed into a political controversy, with Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi questioning the silence of “selective liberals”.

AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised the Congress government for the chargesheet and called it a “replica” of the BJP. “Congress in “Power” is replica of BJP ,Muslims of Rajasthan must realise this,reject such individuals/organisations who are brokers of congress party,& start developing their own independent political platform ,70 years is a long time please CHANGE,” he tweeted.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.

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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.

Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.

They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.

The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.

Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August

The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.

The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.

The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.

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