Six Accused in Mob Killing Case Acquitted, India

A court in central India, on Wednesday, acquitted all six accused in the lynching of Pehlu Khan, who was killed two years ago by a mob while he was transporting cows.

All six accused were caught on cellphone camera but a trial court in Alwar said the video was not clear enough to establish their presence.

The decision shocked the family of Pehlu Khan, 55, a Muslim slain in the lynching.

“We have lost faith in the law. For two-and-a-half years, we have been waiting for justice,” Khan’s eldest son, Irshad, told the Hindustan Times.

“We thought that justice would be delivered and it would give peace to my father’s soul but instead our hopes were shattered.”

On April 1 2017, dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was dragged out of the truck in which he was transporting cattle bought from a fair and assaulted by a mob of cow vigilantes on the Jaipur-Delhi highway. The 55-year-old died in hospital.

Moments after the judge’s “not guilty” ruling, slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” erupted from supporters of the accused waiting outside the courtroom.

The disturbing assault video, which went viral, had helped the police identify and arrest some of the accused.

The Rajasthan State government has decided to appeal Wednesday’s decision to a higher court, officials announced.