Blind father of Dalit youth lynched by mob allegedly kills himself in Rajasthan day after court acquits accused in Pehlu Khan murder case

Two days after the six accused in the Pehlu Khan mob lynching case were acquitted by a Rajasthan court, a Dalit boy’s blind father allegedly committed suicide on Thursday evening in the state after he failed to get justice for his son’s mob lynching, a News18 India report said. The incident took place on 19 July, in the Chopanki district of Alwar, Rajasthan, when the Dalit youth, Harish Jatav, was travelling on his bike and accidentally collided with and injured a woman. The mob proceeded to thrash him, due to which he suffered severe injuries on his head and chest. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Rattiram, the father of the deceased accused the police of trying to bury the matter and allegedly ingested poison leading to his death. Relatives said that even while dying he kept on saying that the police was trying to save his son’s murderers. The resident from Jeewana, Rajasthan, constantly kept track of the police investigation and asked them questions about the progress of the case, all to have no avail. The police reportedly tried to brush the incident off as an accident. The victim of mob lynching used to drive a truck and is survived by four daughters.