The murder of two young men has become the latest political flashpoint in Rajasthan. The men, in their early 20s, were chased and then deliberately ran over by more than 12 men in three SUVs. Members of the Scheduled Caste Meghwal community have refused to accept the bodies and are sitting on a dharna at Kuchaman, a city in central Rajasthan, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
The police said the murder took place on Monday night after an altercation at a roadside eatery. The victims were returning from a fair ground. The alleged killers had given chase and caught up with Raju Ram, Chunni Lal and Kishna Ram 4 km away at Ranasar village near Kuchaman city.
CCTV footage just before the incident shows more than 12 men in three vehicles -- a Scorpio, a Bolero and a Bolero camper -- driving out at full speed from a dhaba and taking a reckless turn on the highway.
Two of the men died on the spot and a third, Kishna Ram, is admitted in a hospital in Jaipur.
Shrawan Bugalia, a relative of one of the victims, said: "We are angry these people have been brutally killed, we want justice and police should investigate this case properly."
Three people have been detained while more than 16 others have been identified and the police are on the lookout for them.
The Rajasthan government, in a damage control mode, has sent senior police officers to the spot to defuse the situation. One of them, MN Dinesh, said: "Three people have been detained and we have identified 16 and 30 teams have been made to to catch the accused. The entire Ajmer range is working on it. The accused are definitely criminals."
Earlier today, Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore reached the dharna spot. "The government is not taking action. There is a breakdown of law and order if such a crime can happen," he said.
In a election year, the anger among the Meghwal community can singe the Congress if quick action is not taken. 34 assembly seats are reserved for the 17 per cent Scheduled Caste population in the state. Of these, 19 are with the Congress, and the government is in damage control mode to retain the traditional support base.
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