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Interrogation Of Prime Accused In Junaid Khan Lynching Reveals He Ran Away To Maharashtra To Escape Murder

Police say interrogation is still on.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images

The prime accused in the lynching of Junaid Khan a fortnight ago, who was arrested by the police from Maharashtra's Dhule last evening, was said to have been living in the state in the hope that he could escape murder, say reports.

The man who was identified as Naresh Rakh detained and questioned by the police on Saturday and will be produced in a court in Faridabad on Sunday.

Dhule Superintendent of Police M Ramkumar told The Indian Express, "Rakh managed to flee after the incident and was staying with his relatives in Dhule. The Haryana team was on his trail and managed to pick up a few leads through technical surveillance. The team arrived in Maharashtra on Saturday afternoon and took Rakh into custody. The Maharashtra Police was subsequently informed."

Despite the police being extremely cautious and tight-lipped about the case, it was reported that Rakh had found a job in Maharashtra.

NDTV reported an official of the Haryana's Government Railway police, Kamal Dev, as saying that Rakh had first tried to stay with his relatives in Mathura and Vrindavan. He had later gotten in touch with his relative in Maharashtra who got him a a job in a factory.

The report also said that Rakh was in the beginning not involved in the fight that resulted in Junaid's death. He is said to have gotten involved at a point, after which he stabbed Junaid and his brothers.

The official meanwhile was quoted by IANS as saying, "We are interrogating him. It is an ongoing, open investigation. A final picture will emerge only after completion of the interrogation."

IANS also reported the official as saying, "There is no reference to beef in the complaint of the victims and also questioning of the accused."

Junaid's father Jalaluddin Khan seemed to be satisfied with the arrested. He told The Hindustan Times, "I heard the news of his arrest and am told he is being brought to Faridabad. I am extremely satisfied with the police's role in dealing with this case."

The bereaved father, has meanwhile, demanded a death sentence for the accused who is said to be 30-years-old.

Jalaluddin told ANI, ""I appeal the government to announce death penalty for the accused and arrest the remaining involved in this case. Such incidents are happening everyday in every parts of the nation. We are living in fear."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.