Pehlu Khan’s Sons, Lawyer and two Case Witnesses attacked! People in Black Scorpio without number plates opened fire at their vehicle
29, Sep 2018 | CJP Team
In a shocking development in the Pehlu Khan lynching case, his sons, their lawyer as well as witnesses who were on their way to depose before a court in Behror, were attacked by men in an unmarked vehicle. They were travelling from their village Nuh in Haryana to Behror in Rajasthan.
Their lawyer Mohammed Asad Hayat posted about the incident on his Facebook page saying, “Today witnesses were going to start deposing in the Pehlu Khan case. Therefore I, accompanied by Pehlu’s sons Irshad and Arif, as well as two witnesses Azmat and Rafiq, were traveling to Behror in a car. Our driver was Amjad.” He said they were driving along NH8, and shortly after crossing Nimrana a vehicle began to follow them. Adv Hayat said, “The men were in a Black Scorpio but the vehicle had no number plates. They tried to overtake us and then started firing at us!” Hayat says that they took a U-turn after this attack and headed to Alwar to meet district officials. “This was a tactic to intimidate the witnesses and prevent them from deposing,” says Adv Hayat.
He also uploaded this picture on his Facebook page:
Speaking to Indian Express, Pehlu Khan’s son Irshad confirmed the story and said, “The vehicle came near and the men inside waved their hands, asking us to stop. We might have even stopped, but we didn’t as their vehicle did not have a number plate. Then their vehicle came nearer and the men started hurling abuses at us, telling us to stop at once. Then they overtook us and fired upon us.”
Speaking to CJP, Alwar SP Rajendra Singh confirmed that Advocate Hayat and Pehlu Khan’s sons had approached him after escaping from the alleged attack. “Yes, they came here and met us. The matter has been brought to our attention and police will now investigate the case.”
Meanwhile, we along with the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) are appealing for protection to be provided to the witnesses in the case. The text of PUCL’s letter may be read here:
Related:
Victims of Gautankwad: Pehlu Khan
A Timeline of Lynchings in India
Police file chargesheet against Pehlu Khan, call him Cattle Smuggler
