Amid countrywide outrage over lynching of Rakbar Khan (alias Akbar), the Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana on Thursday announced financial assistance of Rs 8 lakh for the family of the Rakbar, who fell a victim of mob violence in neighboring BJP-led Rajasthan Government.
The 31-year-old Rakbar was lynched by a mob who accused him of cow smuggling in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on the night of July 20.
With cases of mob violence on rise in India in the recent years and Rakbar being the latest victim, the issue has snowballed into a national debate.
Rakbar Khan, a resident of Haryana’s Nuh district is survived by his four daughters and three sons.
“Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Rakbar Khan alias Akbar Khan, a resident of village Kaul, Ferozepur Jhirka, district Nuh,” said an official spokesman on Thursday.
He said that Haryana Waqf Board chairman Raheesha Khan, has also announced financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh to his family. Thus, a total of Rs 8 lakh would be provided as financial assistance by the government, the spokesman added.
Rakbar Khan and his friend Aslam were taking two cows to their village in Haryana through a forested area near lalawandi in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on the night of July 20 when a group had attacked them on the suspicion of them being cow smugglers. Rakbar was brutally beaten but Aslam managed to escape.
The incident happened just days after Supreme Court issued a series of directions to State Governments and district police functionaries to curb mob violence.
Rajasthan Police has also been under fire in the alleged lynching for delay in taking Rakbar to the hospital.
The incident also led to a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP — inside and outside Parliament.
Senior leaders from Congress and Indian National lok Dal had visited Rakbar’s family and condemned the incident.
The opposition also condemned the BJP led State Governments for failing to keep a check on violence by gau rakshaks in the name of cow protection.
Rakbar’s family has demanded the death penalty for those responsible for the lynching, saying they have killed not just one person but have also robbed an entire family’s livelihood.
In a similar incident, a 55-year-old Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer from Mewat's Jaisinghpur village, was lynched by cow vigilantes in April in Behror area of Alwar district in Rajasthan.