‘Stain on BJP Govt’: Muslim Man Killed, Head Crushed With Stone Outside Rajasthan Police Station
Jaipur: On the morning of September 24, 40-year-old Saikun Khan – a resident of Barawas village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district – told his son that he was going to the market to buy a new tyre for his motorcycle, and would be back soon to tend the onion crops he had sown in their field.
He never returned.
Hours later, Saikun – a father of two daughters and a son – was dead, his head crushed with a stone just outside the Baroda Meo police station allegedly by a man who was later arrested by the police.
“We don’t know why my brother was killed. He didn’t have any enmity with anyone. His only crime was that he sported a beard and wore a skullcap. We suspect he was killed because it was evident from his attire that he was a Muslim. He was brutally killed outside the police station and yet not a single policeman came to save him,” says Irshad Khan, Saikun’s younger brother, his voice breaking.
Family members say that Saikun had gone to the market at Baroda Meo – around ten kilometres from their village – with another fellow villager on the latter’s motorcycle.
“The other person had some work in Baroda Meo, so my son dropped him off and was going to buy some other household item. When he was right in front of the Baroda Meo police station’s gate, a man suddenly hit Saikun on his head with a heavy stone. My son fell down and his legs were trapped under the motorcycle. Thereafter the man took a sharp stone and kept hitting Saikun, crushing his head,” Saikun’s father Nasru Khan told The Wire.
The bereaved family members of Saikun Khan at their village Barawas in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Photo: By arrangement.
According to the police, Saikun was first taken to the community health centre (CHC) in Baroda Meo and thereafter referred to a bigger hospital in Alwar but died before he reached Alwar. The accused man has been identified as Harsh, 21, a local resident, said officials.
The death of Saikun resulted in a dharna and protests by angry locals, who demanded compensation for the family and action against the accused.
“We have been told that the accused was earlier inside the police station. The police brought him after he had a quarrel with his father. When he was allowed to go, he challenged the police that he will murder someone, and yet, no action was taken. Later he murdered Saikun right outside the police station's gate,” alleged Sher Mohammad Meo, chief of the Meo Panchayat.
The Rajasthan police have denied that Saikun’s killing was a hate crime and said that they are investigating the allegations about the accused being inside the police station.
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“After Harsh's arrest, the behaviour of the accused appeared to suggest that he is mentally disturbed. He was continuously shouting and yelling, threatening the police and also saying that he will set the police station on fire and kill his father. But we are not believing what he is saying and will be certain about his mental state only after due medical checkups. The claim that [Saikun] Khan was killed because he is a Muslim is not true. Even the family’s first complaint doesn’t mention that,” said Alwar additional SP Priyanka Raghuvanshi, while speaking to The Wire.
Raghuvanshi said that a case of murder has been registered against the accused.
“Prima facie it appears that some time back the accused had a dispute with his father and became violent at that time as well. We are investigating the allegation that he was earlier brought inside the Baroda Meo police station but in preliminary inquiry we haven't found anything to suggest that the claim is true. The spot where the incident took place is not visible from inside the police station. When the police heard cries of help, they rushed and separated the accused in a fraction of seconds,” she added.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.
The opposition Congress has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled government in Rajasthan over the death of Saikun, terming the incident “a black stain on the forehead of the government”.
“In Baroda Meo, Alwar, right in front of the main gate of the police station, in the presence of the police, the incident of a young man being beaten to death with stones is a black stain on the forehead of Rajasthan's law and order. The morale of criminals in the state has soared to such heights that they no longer fear the law even in front of police stations,” Rajasthan leader of opposition Tika Ram Jully said after the incident.
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“When police stations themselves are not safe, one can easily gauge the state of law and order in the province. Where does the common man go for justice and security? In Rajasthan, it is not the rule of law but the reign of terror by criminals that prevails. The prestige of the law has ended, and the police machinery is engaged in servility to BJP leaders. This is not just a failure of law and order, but a black stain on the forehead of the government and the Alwar police. Helpless government, helpless Chief Minister, and helpless police; this is what Rajasthan is enduring,” Jully added.
Back at Saikun’s home in Barawas, grief and uncertainty looms large as local villagers visit the bereaved family. His father Nasru said that Saikun’s son is a minor.
“The only places where my brother would go were the field and the mosque. He lived a very simple life. We still can’t believe that he is no more with us,” said his brother Irshad.
This article went live on September twenty-sixth, two thousand twenty six, at fifty minutes past one in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
