The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Principal Secretary (Home) of Rajasthan to respond and clarify the Vasundhara Raje government’s position and dealing with “every aspect” of the action taken against officials in the aftermath of the brutal lynching of Rakbar Khan by cow vigilantes and his subsequent death at Alwar district in July.
The incident took place a couple of days after the Supreme Court’s July 17 verdict condemned lynchings and mob violence as “horrendous acts of mobocracy” and urged Parliament to enact a new anti-lynching law. The court had also directed officials from States like Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat to take immediate steps to prevent cow vigilantism.
Twenty-eight-year-old Khan was attacked by cow vigilantes in Alwar district’s Ramgarh area on July 20 when he was leading two cows from Ladpura village to his home to Haryana.
The orders came during a hearing on a contempt plea filed by Tushar Gandhi and activist Tehseen Poonawala seeking action against the Rajasthan government.
In its order, the Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra recorded the submissions made by senior advocate Indira Jaising for Mr. Poonawala that “a terrible lynching has taken place on July 24, 2018 at Village Lalwandi, District Ramgarh, Rajasthan”.
Additional Advocaate General for Rajasthan, Shiv Mangal Sharma, submitted that appropriate action has been taken against the erring officials. Mr. Sharma undertook to file an affidavit of from Principal Secretary (Home) within a week.
“Needless to say, the affidavit shall deal with every aspect and clarify the position, keeping in view the assertions made and also regard being had to the directions issued in the judgment (July 17),” the Supreme Court ordered.
The court listed the case for hearing on August 30.
