NEW DELHI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Police in the western state of Rajasthan Saturday launched a probe into the death of a 55-year-old social worker who was allegedly lynched by a group of civic officials after he prevented them from clicking photos of women defecating in the open.
The incident took place near Bagwasa Kachi in the state's Pratapgarh city Friday when the civil officials were patrolling the area to stop local people from relieving in the open.
"Zafar Khan spotted the civic officials clicking photos of some women defecating in the open. He first objected and then prevented them from taking photos. That angered the officials and they beat him up badly with sticks, leading to his death," according to a complaint by the victim's brother.
Cops, however, said that autopsy report suggested that Khan died of heart failure.
"Anyway, we are investigating the case and a case has been registered against four accused named in First Information Report, based on the police complaint filed by the victim's brother," Pratapgarh's police chief Shivraj Meena told the media.
The incident came a month after a 32-year-old e-rickshaw driver was beaten to death allegedly by some 15 youths in Delhi after he objected to two of them urinating outside a Metro station.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the killing of the driver and reportedly directed police to take strict action against the perpetrators as the victim stood up for Swachh Bharat (Clean India) mission that has been promoted his government.
