Ten people have been detained in connection with the killing of a Muslim youth by a group of people in Rajasthan’s Kotputli-Behror district, police said on Saturday, reports PTI.
Police said that some forest department employees are alleged to have been involved in the case.
Waseem, 27, was killed and two people accompanying him were injured after they were assaulted by a group, allegedly including Forest Department officials, at Narol village on suspicion of smuggling wood, police said, reported Indian Express. The incident took place late Thursday night.
Police said the victim, Waseem, died while receiving treatment, while Asif and Azharuddin do not have life-threatening injuries.
Police reached Narol village late on Thursday after receiving information about a scuffle and found that three injured men had been taken to a local hospital. Wasim, who was referred to the Kotputli Hospital, succumbed to his injuries.
Kotputli-Behror Superintendent of Police Ranjita Sharma denied it to be a case of mob lynching, stating that the injury marks on the body did not suggest so. “Prima facie, the victim died of internal bleeding from the use of a sharp-edged weapon,” she said.
“Ten people have been detained in the case and are being interrogated. A Forensic Science Laboratory team has been called from Jaipur to collect samples from the spot. Soon the accused will be arrested,” she said, as quoted by PTI.
Sharma said that the role of 3-4 forest department employees and two others have come to the fore.
Meanwhile, family members and neighbours of Waseem reached Harsora police station and submitted a memorandum to ASP Anil Sharma, demanding compensation, transparent probe and swift action in the case.
They had alleged that Waseem and the two others had gone to cut trees outside a house and collect wood with the consent of the homeowner when the incident took place.
Waseem’s last rites were performed late on Friday after post-mortem.