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Attackers claimed to be men of local MLA: Alwar lynching survivor

GURUGRAM: "Please keep me out of all this and don''t publish my picture or they will find me and kill me," says Aslam Khan, who managed to give a slip to the attackers even as his friend Akbar Khan (28) was beaten to death in Alwar.

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Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, July 23

"Please keep me out of all this and don't publish my picture or they will find me and kill me," says Aslam Khan, who managed to give a slip to the attackers even as his friend Akbar Khan (28) was beaten to death in Alwar.

Aslam, who was witness to what he called a "horrific" episode, wants to be left alone claiming that the accused were alleged henchmen of local MLA Ramgarh GyanDev Ahuja.

"When they came charging towards us, we screamed that we will call police but they laughed it off, saying 'Tum police bulao ya military hum Gyandev ki aadmi hai pitoge tum hi (Call police or military if you want we are men of Gyandev only you will be thrashed). They screamed 'burn them alive'. One of them caught my collar but I managed to flee. I asked Aslam to run but he was reluctant to leave cows behind, and also he was trapped. They beat him up brutally with sticks and his screams echoed in the area as I ran for my life or maybe to get help," said Aslam.

MLA Gyandev Ahuja, a known cow welfare activist, however, refuted the allegations. "I am committed to fight against cow smuggling and have dedicated my life to it but in all these years we have never killed or beaten up anyone. The police killed that man and we ourselves want a probe to prove our point."

Aslam said while Akbar's death had highlighted it for first time but the 'Gau Rakshak' menace had long been ailing them. "We are dairy farmers who need to sell and buy cows which are readily available in Alwar. We cannot bring them in day time as we are robbed of our animals by these goons and even cops so we risk our lives during nights. Owing to nexus between tempo drivers and 'rakshaks' we, at times, had to walk miles with animals. But with Akbar gone even that is not an option now," added Aslam.

'Extortionists in the garb of Gau Rakshaks'

People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has said Akbar was killed by extortionists in the garb of 'Gau Rakshaks'.

 "It is well known that extortionists under the garb of 'gau rakshaks' are roaming the streets looking for a prey. If those carrying cows are able to pay the sum demanded, they are allowed to go or else fired at and killed. This was happened to Akbar too," said PUCL in a statement.

The murder of Akbar - it alleged - is the "complete failure of the government in protecting Muslims, particular dairy farmers, from the 'gau rakshaks who are basically extortionists".

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