Over a week after 31-year-old Rakbar Khan alias Akbar was beaten to death in Alwar by a mob that suspected he was smuggling cows, a mahapanchayat was held in Nuh’s Kolgaon on Sunday morning “to promote peace and brotherhood and ensure the accused in the matter are punished”.
The event was organised by Rakbar Insaaf Committee, comprising 40 people from five villages, and attended by hundreds from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
“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,” said Ramzan Choudhary, President of the All India Mewati Samaj.
“In addition, we want the government to bear the expenses of education for Rakbar’s seven children, and want all the accused to be arrested immediately,” he said.
The committee said that the accused who they want to see brought to book include local MLA Gyandev Ahuja and Naval Kishore Sharma, eyewitness and chief of VHP’s local Gau Raksha cell.
“The two should be arrested and a case registered against Ahuja under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy),” said Choudhary.
In addition, the mahapanchayat demanded that relatives of the deceased not be harassed by police in the name of investigation, and that the government work towards promoting a message of peace in the area by taking steps such as organising a “sadbhavana yatra”.
“We are giving the government time until August 6 to fulfill these demands, failing which we will hold a bigger panchayat in Alwar,” said Choudhary.
Among those at the mahapanchayat was Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav.
“It is a time of great sorrow and shame. When an elder person dies in the house, we feel sorrow, when a youth dies, we feel sorrow, but the way in which Akbar went, that is not just a matter of sorrow, but also shame. And shame not only for this society, for Meo, for Muslims, but what has happened here is a matter of shame for every Indian. And this has not just happened once, whether it is the case of Akhlaq, the case of Junaid, the case of Pehlu, the case of Akbar, this has been continuing, what is happening in this country?” said Yadav.
“…those occupying high positions are putting their hands on the shoulders of those who killed, and giving them respect. Those who occupy high positions, was it not their duty to come among you all? Was it not their duty to say that we are with you in your pain?” he said.
