Ashok Gehlot blames ex-CM Raje for lapses in Pehlu Khan probe – 2 min read

Jaipur: Blaming former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s government for reported lapses in the Pehlu Khan lynching case, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said his government has formed an SIT to investigate the case.

The previous BJP government changed four Investigating Officers in the Pehlu Khan case, Gehlot said at a press conference here.

“In fact, we have recently brought in a law against mob lynching in Rajasthan. After Manipur, Rajasthan has become the second state to have introduced a law against mob lynching,” he added.

“Also, we have decided to form Heinous Case Monitoring Unit which shall work under the supervision of Additional Director General Crime to ensure the serious cases are dealt immediately with effective investigation,” he added.

He said the accused in the Pehlu Khan case were released due to benefit of doubt in the recently announced verdict by the Alwar court.

“Those who filmed the episode were not made witnesses. In fact, many other lapses have come to fore in the investigation which progressed under the former BJP government,” he alleged.

He said the Pehlu Khan lynching was reported on April 1, 2017, however, the FIR was lodged after 16 hours and the medical examination was conducted after four days.

No urgency was shown to arrest the accused. Three different officials conducted the investigation and all three of them zeroed in on the same accused, however, they were never arrested. Even the mobile which filmed the act was not seized, he said.

Call details of the accused being present on the site were found, however, the certificate of their presence was not collected by the concerned officials, he added.

“Now, our government has taken stringent steps in this perspective. We have formed a Special Investigation Team which will be monitored under the ADG (Crime) and shall submit its report in 15 days,” Gehlot said.

The weakness and lapses which came up in this case shall be identified and removed and all proof and facts shall be collected and investigated minutely, he added.

 Published on: Aug 18, 2019 at 21:47 IST

IANS