Mob claimed to be 'MLA's men': witness

In a written statement to the Ramgarh Police, Aslam Khan, the only eye-witness at the scene when the mob attacked Akbar Khan, has said he had heard people in the mob saying "you can't do anything to us, we are the MLA's men".

24-year-old Aslam, also a resident of Kolgaon village, in a written statement to the police, has also said that he can recall names of a few of the attackers.

"On our way back home, I was accompanying Akbar, along with the two cows we had purchased. We took the route through the fields when we reached near the Lalavadi village. Suddenly a mob attacked us. I hid behind a tree. They fired a gun and then shouted at us. They started beating Akbar up and I was quietly watching from behind the tree," Aslam said.

Aslam's statement was recorded on video by the Ramgarh police at Ferozpur Zirka police station in Haryana district in presence of the DRO and SDM.

"There were five men. I could hear three names — Dharmendra, Paramjeet and Naresh — while they ere calling each other. And they were saying no one can harm them as they are the MLA's men. There were two other men also. I managed to run from there. Last I saw, they were beating Akbar with sticks," he said.

Aslam's statement was recorded 48 hours after the attack. It was recorded at the Haryana police station instead of Ramgarh police station after social groups demanded his safety.

Out of the five people who, according to Aslam, attacked Akbar, the police have arrested three, identified as Naresh Singh (28), Dharmendra Yadav (24) and Paramjeet Singh (28).