ALWAR (RAJASTHAN): The Rajasthan Police on Monday accepted that there could have been an error in judging gravity of the situation by its team, which delayed in taking lynching victim Rakbar Khan to a hospital.“Prima facie, we have found that if we had responded in a better manner, the incident could have been avoided. Further investigation is on. No one can take the law of the land in their hands. If we find out that there is anything more than an error, action will be taken,” Special DGP, Law & Order, Rajasthan Police, NRK Reddy told reporters.
Reddy is heading the four-member fact-finding team, which visited the Ramgarh police station and met the father of the lynching victim, Rakbar. Assistant sub-inspector Mohan Singh has already been suspended from duty. Constables Vijay Singh, Surendra Singh and driver Harendra Singh have been sent to the police lines. The team’s fault was possibly wasting about one crucial hour in taking Rakbar to the hospital, the police said.
As the CCTV cameras installed at the Ramgarh police station were not working, the only footage available of the fateful night is the one recorded at a private clinic located near the health centre where Rakbar was pronounced dead. Alwar is tense for last three days after Rakbar was lynched on suspicion that he was smuggling cows. Meanwhile, locals submitted a letter to the district administration demanding release of the two of the three accused within two days or face wide spread protest. Right-wing groups and a few others held a joint meeting to discuss the matter.
Also, the Mev community to which Rakbar belonged has decided to go for a huge protest on the Haryana-Rajasthan border on Tuesday. Leaders from the local Muslim community along with Rakbar’s father Suleiman met the investigation team on Monday.
“If there has been any irresponsible attitude of the police, then investigation should be done. But this does not take away the fact that that five to six people attacked Rakbar brutally, resulting in serious internal damages,” said a member of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, a human rights body.“Different angles are coming out right now but we hope that justice would be done,” the PUCL member added.