Rajasthan: Saqoon Khan Murdered with Stones Outside Police Station, Family Suspects Targeting Due to Religious Identity; Police Deny Communal Angle

Saqoon Khan Went to Buy Motorcycle Tires

According to police and several media reports, Saqoon Khan was a resident of Bada Vas village in Alwar and engaged in farming. On the morning of September 24, he went to the Barodamev market to buy a new tire for his motorcycle. He was accompanied by Noor Mohammad from his village, whom he dropped off at a bank.

Around 10 am, when Saqoon was passing by the Barodamev police station, the accused Harsh Murtikar allegedly stopped him, made him fall from the motorcycle, and hit his head with stones lying on the road. Seriously injured Saqoon was first taken to the Barodamev Community Health Center and then referred to Alwar, but he died before reaching the district hospital.

Saqoon was the father of three children. According to the family, he had two daughters and a son.

Family Suspects Murder Due to Religious Identity

Saqoon's younger brother, Irshad Khan, said the family cannot understand the reason for the murder since Saqoon had no old enmity with anyone.

Irshad alleged that his brother had a beard and wore a cap, making his Muslim identity clearly visible. The family suspects this might be the reason for the attack. However, this allegation has not been proven in the investigation so far, and the police are not accepting it.

Saqoon's father, Nasru Khan, told The Wire that his son was near his motorcycle when he was suddenly attacked with heavy stones. According to him, Saqoon fell down, and his leg got stuck under the motorcycle, after which the attacker continuously hit his head.

Family Questions Police Role

The family and some local people have questioned why Saqoon could not be saved in time despite the attack happening so close to the police station.

Irshad Khan alleged that no police personnel arrived on time to save his brother, even though the attack occurred outside the police station. Local people and family members also protested against the police administration on this issue.

Sher Mohammad Mew, the head of the Mew panchayat, made another serious allegation. He claimed that he was informed that the accused was inside the police station before the incident and was brought to the police by his father after a dispute. He alleged that the accused threatened to kill someone while leaving.

However, the police have not confirmed this claim.

Additional SP Priyanka Raghuvanshi said that this allegation is being investigated, but no fact confirming the accused was inside the police station before the incident has been found in the initial investigation. The police claim that the spot where the attack occurred is not directly visible from inside the police station, and police personnel reached the spot after hearing cries for help.

Police Claim Accused and Victim Did Not Know Each Other

The police say that there is no evidence of any prior acquaintance or enmity between Saqoon Khan and the accused Harsh Murtikar.

Inspector Rajkumar told The Indian Express that the two did not know each other. The police have denied that the attack was due to religious identity.

Alwar SP Sudhir Chaudhary also said that during interrogation, the accused did not mention targeting any specific person. The police are not considering this a premeditated attack due to any past rivalry and are also denying any communal angle.

Police Suspect Accused's Mental Condition, Medical Examination Pending

Police officials have expressed suspicion about the accused's mental health based on his behavior. However, this has not been established as a medical conclusion yet.

Additional SP Priyanka Raghuvanshi said that after arrest, the accused was allegedly shouting, threatening the police, and talking about killing his father. She clarified that the police are not drawing any final conclusions based solely on his behavior, and his mental condition will be clear only after a medical examination by doctors.

On September 26, according to a UNI report, the police initiated the process of medically examining the accused's actual mental condition, and preparations are being made to conduct the investigation in Jaipur.

What Does the Police Say on the Family's Allegation?

The police have denied the family's suspicion that Saqoon's murder was due to his Muslim identity.

Additional SP Priyanka Raghuvanshi said that even in the initial complaint filed by the family, there was no mention of the murder being due to religious identity. The police have registered a murder case and presented the accused before a magistrate.

Therefore, it would not be factually correct to say that the murder was solely due to religious hatred. The family has expressed such a suspicion, while the police are denying it, and the actual motive behind the murder is a subject of investigation.

Protests After Murder, Demand for SIT Investigation

After the incident, a large number of villagers and family members gathered outside the Barodamev police station and Alwar district hospital. Protesters also blocked the Alwar-Bharatpur highway.

The family and local organizations demanded a fair investigation, compensation for the family, government assistance, and the formation of an SIT to investigate the case.

Following this, Alwar Police Superintendent Sudhir Chaudhary formed an SIT to investigate the case. According to a UNI report on September 26, the SIT inspected the crime scene and collected evidence. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) also collected evidence from the crime scene.

What is Clear So Far?

Based on available police and media reports, it is clear that on September 24, Saqoon Khan was fatally attacked with stones near the Barodamev police station, and the accused Harsh Murtikar was arrested by the police. The family has raised serious questions about religious identity and police response.

On the other hand, the police claim that the victim and the accused did not know each other previously and that no communal motive has been proven so far. The police also suspect the accused's mental condition, but there is no final medical conclusion yet.

As of September 28, based on public reports, the actual motive behind the murder is still under investigation, and the SIT investigation is ongoing.