Indian police file charges against Muslim farmer lynched in 2017

Rajasthan police file charge sheet for cow smuggling against deceased farmer Pehlu Khan and his two sons

Police in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan on Saturday filed a charge sheet for cow smuggling against a Muslim dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, who was lynched by a mob of self-styled cow vigilantes two years ago, The Hindu reported.

The names of Khan's two sons, Irshad and Arif, and the owner of the pick-up truck in which the cows were transported, Khan Muhammad, were also included in the charge sheet.

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The charges against Khan were filed under various sections of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act, 1995, which prohibits the slaughter and regulates temporary migrations or export of cows.

Superintendent of Police Paris Deshmukh told The Hindu that he would soon issue a statement on the case after a “complete picture” about the charge sheet was presented.

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On April 1, 2017, the 55-year-old Khan purchased cows from a cattle fair in Rajasthan's capital city, Jaipur.

While transporting the cattle to his native village in Haryana, he and his companions were ambushed by a mob on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway and beaten brutally over accusations of smuggling cattle.

Khan suffered severe injuries in the mob attack and died at a private hospital two days later.