Citizens for Justice and Peace

 20 August 2019

On the eve of India’s 73rd Independence Day, a travesty of a verdict blotted India’s jurisprudential landscape. Rejecting the weak links in the process of collection of evidence during investigations – which included a video that was not forensically tested by the state’s prosecution, but which clearly could identify the six assailants – an Alwar Court has acquitted all six people accused of the murder of 55 year-old cattle trader, Pehlu Khan. 

Earlier, police had given the accused a clean chit based on statements from the staff of a local cow shelter, and phone records. What police failed to highlight, was that Jagmal Yadav, one of the accused, was also the manager of the cowshed whose employees testified that he and the other accused were present at the cowshed at the time of the crime.

This is arguably one of the most controversial mob lynching cases in the country, not only because the entire dance of death was caught on camera, but also because Pehlu Khan himself was chargesheeted in the case upon allegations of cow smuggling.

Here, Teesta Setalvad asks, where is the justice?

TEESTA SETALVAD: WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?

On the judgement day of the infamous Pehlu Khan lynching case, Teesta Setalvad speaks to the Gautankwad victim’s lawyer, Kasim Khan.