Rajasthan prepares blueprint to prevent lynchings by mobs

Rajasthan’s home minister Gulabchand Kataria said on Friday the state government has prepared a blueprint to prevent the rising lynchings by mobs.

Rajasthan’s home minister Gulabchand Kataria said on Friday the state government has prepared a blueprint to prevent the rising lynchings by mobs. It includes identifying sensitive areas, increasing the presence of the police and naming nodal officers.

Members of All India Students Association (AISA) hold placards as they protest against the mob lynchings in the country, at Parliament street, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, June 22, 2018.(HT File Photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Party in the state has faced renewed criticism after a 29-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death late in July by suspected cow vigilantes in Alwar district, where three people engaged in cattle trade were killed since April last year.

“A team of informers will be prepared to enable the police to respond quickly to the possibility of mob lynching in remote areas. The way to do this is to increase the police mobility in remote areas and for that, we will soon be issuing 700 motorcycles,” Kataria told the Hindustan Times.

“Then, the police officials have been asked to increase the vigilance and take preventive steps to ensure that such incidents do not take place ... It’s important to establish a proper channel of communication between the people in remote areas and the police,” he added.

Police have admitted they made a mistake in handling the case after local officials were accused of taking the victim to the hospital nearly three hours after they found him. They were also accused of taking him to the police station initially and beating him up. The state’s home department has issued an advisory to the police asking them to identify sensitive zones at the village level.