Gehlot hints at handing over murder case of Dalit boy to CBI

The Rajasthan CM said, “It is very easy to hand over the case to CBI, please stop unwanted gossip and rumour on the incident that is being dealt with perfectly by the police.”

Murder case of Dalit boy to CBI: Worried over rumours and regular visits of political leaders affecting investigation into the murder of a Delit boy in Jalore by his teacher for drinking water from an earthen pot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Friday, hinted that if the police probe doesn’t stand up to the expectations of the public, the state government can refer it to the CBI for a high-level probe.

Speaking to the media after attending the convocation parade at Rajasthan Police Academy here, Gehlot said, “It is not fair on leaders or the public to blame and defame the state government by spreading rumours and making unnecessary visits to the village Surana in the Jalore district where the deceased boy’s parents live.”

Gehlot hints at handing over murder case of Dalit boy to CBI

“It is very easy to hand over the case to CBI, please stop unwanted gossip and rumour on the incident that is being dealt with perfectly by the police,” Gehlot urged.

It is pertinent to mention here that the eight-year school boy, Indra Kumar Meghwal, who was beaten up by the class teacher-cum-headmaster on July 20 at Sayala village of the Jalore district succumbed to his ear and eye injuries at a hospital in Ahmedabad on August 13.

The FIR alleged that the teacher thrashed and beaten up the Dalit boy Indra who shared drinking water from his (teacher’s) pitcher without any permission. The accused teacher Chail Singh, 40, was arrested under section 302 of IPC for murder and various sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Acts (SC/ST).

NCRB Report on murder case of Dalit boy to CBI

Reacting sharply to the media hype on the National Crime Record Bureau’s report in which Rajasthan figured on the top in rape cases in the country, Gehlot said 56 percent of the total rape cases were found ‘false or fabricated’ by complainant, and the Rajasthan Police had initiated probe against them.

“I have strictly asked the DGP M L Lather to ensure immediate legal action against those who file false and fabricated rape reports, do not spare them at any level because that lead to undesired stigma on women security and on the state’s image in the country”, he said.

“The crime rate in Rajasthan is comparatively lower than other big states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and in our state the filing of FIR is compulsory. Tell or show me any case where the police have not taken any action after filing an FIR in the state.”

Citing the example of Udaipur’s Kanhaiya Lal murder case in which the accused were arrested within four to six hours, “I visited the bereaved family on the second day. The situation was controlled in Udaipur. If we had not arrested the accused soon after, there would have been a large-scale law and order problems in the country. Still people are visiting Kanhaiya’s family and creating unwanted pressures and statements,” Gehlot pointed out.

He claimed the police stations in the state are public-friendly with the best reception facilities, where FIRs are lodged instantly and probe begins simultaneously.

Courtesy : The Statesman

Note: This news piece was originally published in thestatesman.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights .