Reacting to an incident of alleged mob lynching on the Tharad highway, two Congress leaders - MLA Imran Khedawala and former MLA Gyasuddin Sheikh, have demanded to add the clause of mob lynching against the accused in the interest of justice.

The Congress leaders alleged that Mishri Khan Jumekhan was brutally killed on the Deesa-Tharad highway in Banaskantha by a mob.

They also met Vikas Sahay, the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, to discuss the issue.

Khedawala stated that Mishri Khan was killed by a mob while carrying two buffalo calves on the highway. In the interest of justice, the provision of mob lynching should be added to the charges against the accused.

The Congress leaders stated that religious belief is linked to sacred animals like cows or cattle and prohibitions are also implemented by the government. We also accept that strict action must be taken against anyone who commits illegal activities.

The cattle rearing business is mainly done by Maldhari Hindu brothers but the cattle transportation business is mainly done by people from the Muslim community, stated the leaders.

In the name of protection, such elements forcefully extort money from traders transporting buffaloes, buffalo calves, sheep or goats for commercial purposes in legal vehicles certified by law and with RTO permits and if they do not pay the extortion money, these gangs seize the vehicle. We demand strict action against these gangs.

Akherajsinh Vadhela, the mobster and his accomplices, have a criminal history and claim to be cow vigilantes. Akherajsinh Wadhela was also involved in the crime of mob lynching earlier and has recently been acquitted, the Congress leaders added. 

They demanded that the accused persons should be arrested at the earliest and punished to prevent such serious incidents from happening in the future.