Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot meets Udaipur victim’s kin amid protests

New Delhi, June 30

Hours after Hindu organisations in Udaipur staged a protest march against the grisly June 28 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday met the victim’s family and handed over a cheque of Rs 51 lakh as compensation, assuring speedy justice in the matter.

No one has right to kill, says NHRC chief

• Extolling India’s ancient wisdom of non-violence, NHRC chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra (retd) said no one had right to kill anyone
• His comments came in the backdrop of brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur by two men
• “In our scriptures, Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, teachings of our great persons… Ahimsa was talked of,” Justice Mishra said

After deceased’s wife Yashoda sought death penalty for accused Riaz Akhtari and Mohammad Ghous, Gehlot said the severest punishment should be meted out to the killers. The CM sought a time-bound NIA probe.

“The NIA should complete the probe in a time-bound manner and file a chargesheet in a month,” said the CM.

Gehlot’s visit to Udaipur’s Dhanmandi, the site of the brutal killing, was preceded by a massive protest march by Hindu organisations.

The march went off peacefully barring a minor stone-throwing incident, which the riot police contained.

Gehlot also issued an appeal to the people of the state to “defeat forces that wish to harm communal harmony in Rajasthan”.

Meanwhile, the BJP today again blamed Congress’ “appeasement politics” for the murder, with state unit chief Satish Poonia saying, “The fact that two men executed this horrible crime unfazed by the fear of law speaks volumes about where this state is headed under the Congress rule.”

Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba blamed it on the “atmosphere of communal disharmony in the country”.