Akbar Khan’s bones were broken in the attack, died of internal bleeding: Autopsy

Alwar, Jul 24: The post-mortem report of Akbar Khan, lynched in Rajasthan’s Alwar by self-proclaimed cow protectors linked to Sangh Parivar, has revealed that his bones were broken in the attack and he died of shock due to the injuries he suffered.

Khan, 28, was severely assaulted on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday when he, along with his friend, was shepherding two cows and two calves to their village through a forest area near Lalwandi village in Alwar.

The autopsy report states the bones in one arm and leg were fractured. One of Rakbar’s ribs were also broken. He had 12 injury marks on his body. The report concludes Khan died of excessive internal bleeding.

It has also emerged that the men who killed him repeatedly told Akbar while they were beating him up that the local MLA was with them and that nobody could harm them.

Akbar’s friend Aslam, who hid in the fields while Akbar was being severely beaten, told this to the cops in his testimonyon Monday. Local MLA Gyandev Ahuja of the BJP has rubbished Aslam’s statement, saying corrupt cops wanted to malign him.

Aslam named five of the seven men who assaulted Rakbar – Dharmendra Yadav, Paramjeet Singh, Naresh, Vijay and Suresh. Three of the five have been arrested.

Aslam said he had accompanied Rakbar to buy cows. On the way back, they were stalked by the attackers who accosted them at one point. The cows were startled and ran into a nearby field before the beating started.

Rajasthan director general of police (law and order) N R K Reddy admitted Monday that there was an “error of judgement” by cops in gauging the situation. The cops delayed taking Rakbar to a hospital and dropped off the cows in a shelter first. The Ramgarh police station in-charge has been sentenced and three constables sent to the police lines – a punishment posting or a demotion.

Alwar’s Congress MP Karan Singh Yadav slammed the BJP Tuesday for protecting cow vigilantes. “This is old politics of the BJP. They make a Hindu-Muslim issue, fuel tension a few days before election and try to win using the issue of cows. The situation is the same today,” Yadav said.

He also accused the police to be “hand in glove” with vigilantes. “It was the duty of the police to take him to the hospital immediately. Police have played a suspicious role. This is a case of not only mass lynching but also custodial death,” he alleged.