A week after 31-year-old Rakbar Khan was lynched to death on suspicions of cow smuggling, a Mahapanchayat held in Nuh's Kolgaon in Rajasthan has demanded Rs 50 lakh relief for the family of the victim, while the Meo Muslim community demanded the arrest of BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja for allegedly conspiring in the lynching.
Speaking to The Indian Express, President of the All India Mewati Samaj Ramzan Choudhary said, "The main demands we are making is that the investigation be carried out under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, and that the family be given compensation of Rs 50 lakh by the Rajasthan government as well as a government job for Rakbar's widow."
Rakbar Khan was killed and Aslam, who was accompanying him, was injured in the incident that took place when the two were transporting two cows to their village. The mob assumed that they were cow smugglers and beat them, killing Rakbar.
Rakbar has seven children and The Indian Express report said that the mahapanchayat — organised by Rakbar Insaaf Committee that was attended by people from all over Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi — also demanded that the government take care of their education.
Gyan Dev Ahuja, has meanwhile refuted the claims of him being a part of the mob lynching saying the survivor, Aslam, must be arrested on charges of cow smuggling. He has also promised to help those who have been arrested in the case for the murder of Rakbar.
PTI quoted the MLA as saying, "I visited the village and held a meeting with the people at a temple in Lalawandi. The victim died due to dereliction of duty by the police. The three accused who have been arrested should be released now. I told the villagers that I would assist the families of those, who have been arrested, in fighting the legal battle."
The account of an eyewitness, recorded by the police tells a different story. Some people in the mob are said to have mentioned the Ahuja's name saying nothing would happen to them if Rakbar was killed.
"The MLA is with us, nobody can do anything to us. Put him ( Rakbar) on fire," Times of India had quoted an eyewitness telling the police.