Jaipur, June 29: After a huge political controversy erupted over a new report that said Rajasthan Police chargesheeted Pehlu Khan, who was lynched for alleged cow smuggling in Rajasthan's Alwar in 2017, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the victim was not indicted. In a series of tweets, Ashok Gehlot said the Congress government in Rajasthan is committed against lynching.

A mob lynched Pehlu Khan on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway in Alwar in April 2017 when he and his sons were bringing cattle bought from a fair in Jaipur to their home in Haryana's Nuh. He was a dairy farmer. Two FIRs were filed in the case - one was against eight people who allegedly lynched Khan, and the other was against Khan and his sons for transporting cattle allegedly without the district collector's permission. Alwar Lynching Case: Pehlu Khan's Sons, Witnesses Attacked While Going to Testify.

On Saturday, the Rajasthan Police filed a charegsheet in the second FIR. The chargesheet described Pehlu Khan as a "deceased accused". However, CM Ashok Gehlot said Khan was not named in the chargesheet. "News reported in Indian Express is factually incorrect. Name of Late #PehluKhan is not there in the chargesheet submitted by #Rajasthan Police in December 2018," the Chief Minister tweeted.

"This is a separate case which was registered and investigated under previous government in 2017-18 against Mr Arif, Mr Irshad and Mr Khan Mohd (Transporter)... since accused name in the chargesheet were not present at the time of the submission in December 2018, the District court accepted the Challan on 24thmay 2018. However, our government will see if investigation was done with predetermined intentions (sic)." he added.

Gehlot further said: "The Congress party is ideologically committed against any kind of Lynching anywhere in the country and our government is vigilant to ensure it will not have happened again." All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at Congress and urged Muslims in Rajasthan to stop supporting the party.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2019 06:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).