“He had gone to do some work in his pickup truck. Bajrang Dal and cow vigilantes rammed their vehicle into his pickup. The vehicle stopped, and without saying a thing, he was shot in the head.”
That is how Zubair, uncle of 28-year-old Aamir, describes the last moments of his nephew’s life. The young truck driver from Haryana’s Palla village died in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi area on the night of March 2. His family says he was killed by members of the Bajrang Dal on suspicion of cow smuggling. Police say the exact cause of death is still being investigated and will only be confirmed after the post-mortem and forensic reports are completed.
‘He Was Shot in the Head Without Warning’: The Family’s Account
According to Zubair, Aamir had stepped out on a routine errand in his pickup truck when the attack took place. He says cow vigilantes and Bajrang Dal members deliberately rammed their vehicle into Aamir’s truck, brought it to a halt, and shot him in the head without exchanging a single word. Another person at the scene was left bleeding. The attackers fled.
“He’s a truck driver. He doesn’t have anything to do with such things,” Zubair said.
The family’s ordeal did not end with the attack. At 7 am on March 2, Zubair received a phone call saying Aamir had been taken to the UIT police station, but when they arrived, officers said he was not there. They were then directed to the Chopanki Police Station. Again, the police denied having him. About an hour later, a local resident told them that two young men had been brought to a government hospital. That was where the family found Aamir’s body.
When they met the Superintendent of Police, they were assured that action would be taken against those responsible. However, Zubair says the police first told them Aamir had been hit by a stone and later changed their account, saying the matter was under investigation. Officers also told the family they were preoccupied with providing security during the Holi festival.
The FIR As Recorded
According to the FIR filed at Chopanki Police Station by Khalil Ahmed alias Chhuttan, aged 25, of Tawadu, Haryana, he and an associate named Malmu had parked two vehicles near Milkhah in the early hours when a silver-coloured camper rammed into them repeatedly. Stones were also thrown at them. Khalil fled, was caught by police, and was brought back to the scene, where he found a young man bleeding inside the pickup. The injured man was taken to the hospital but later died.
Khalil alleged that the camper’s occupants acted with deliberate intent to kill, and sought strict action against them.
A case was registered under Sections 103(1), 3(5), and 125 of the BNS. Investigation was assigned to Inspector Rakesh Kumar.
Who Was Aamir: A Father of One, a Pregnant Wife, a Wedding Next Month
Aamir was around 28 years old, married, and the father of one child, having lost two of his young children previously. His wife was four months pregnant at the time of his death. As the eldest son in his family and its sole breadwinner, he was responsible for supporting his parents, his wife, and his children. His younger sister was due to be married the following month.
“His mother, father, wife, and children are left behind. A sister has to get married next month. He was the sole breadwinner,” Zubair said.
His grandfather, Nasru, described him simply as a man who drove a truck to feed his family and had no connection to any cattle trade. “He was married, around 28 years old, he used to drive a truck and has three children. He was the eldest son; he used to feed his family, and they killed him. He has young children, and his wife is pregnant. What shall they do?” Nasru said.
Both the uncle and grandfather were emphatic that Aamir drove a truck to ferry vegetables, not cattle. “He drove his uncle’s truck and usually ferried vegetables. He had nothing to do with cow smuggling,” Zubair said.
Police Version: Stone-Pelting Between Two Groups, Not a Shooting
The police account differs from what the family alleges. Bhiwadi Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Choudhary said that police received information early on March 3 about a pickup truck loaded with cattle moving from Tapukda towards Tawadu, with people chasing it. A confrontation broke out near Sare Kala village, which police describe as stone-pelting between two groups.
“An altercation took place near Sare Kala village. A young man identified as Aamir was seriously injured and later declared dead at the hospital. The exact cause of death will be confirmed only after a detailed investigation,” DSP Choudhary told reporters.
Police say five cattle were recovered from the pickup truck near the scene and that stones were found loaded inside the vehicle. According to the DSP, Aamir was allegedly among those in the truck, and his injuries appear to have come from the confrontation. On the family’s allegation of firing, he said: “It will become clear after the post-mortem whether the death was caused by a bullet or due to injuries sustained during the clash.”
Superintendent of Police Prashant Kiran reached the spot along with officers from multiple police stations. A medical board was formed to conduct the autopsy, and the body was handed over to the family after the examination. Additional forces have been deployed across Bhiwadi and nearby areas to maintain order. An FIR has been registered under murder charges against unidentified persons and members of the Bajrang Dal. “Police told us they had filed an FIR under murder against unidentified people and Bajrang Dal,” Nasru confirmed.
‘They Kill Anyone and Label Him a Cow Smuggler’: Family Alleges Targeted Harassment of Muslims
Both Zubair and Nasru said they believe Aamir was killed for no reason other than being Muslim, and that cow smuggling was used as a convenient pretext. They described a pattern of harassment that they say Muslims in their area routinely face.
“They kill anyone and label him a cow smuggler, especially Muslims, and that’s how they get away with it,” Nasru said.
Zubair called it an act of dictatorship. “Aamir had no business with cows and cow smuggling. It’s the Bajrang Dal and RSS’s doing. This is dictatorship,” he said. “Bajrang Dal harasses people for nothing. The administration listens to them, and the government does the same. We just have our lives, and they can take them.”
Nasru painted a bleak picture of daily life for Muslims in the region. “You sit down, they beat you. You stand, they beat you. If you buy meat, they say it’s beef, then they beat you. That’s how it is,” he said, warning that more such incidents would occur if those responsible were not stopped. Both uncles said they would not rest until justice was delivered. “We lost our son, but we will try our best not to let them flee. We will make sure justice is done,” Zubair said.
Aamir’s mother, Sabra, distraught, said, “I came to know about it in the morning, at sehri. Somebody called me. I told them he had gone with his truck. That is when I came to know he was killed.”
“I want justice. My innocent son was killed… oh my son!”
Alwar’s Grim Record: Pehlu Khan, Rakbar Khan, and Now Aamir
Aamir’s death adds to a long and painful list of cow vigilante violence cases centred around Rajasthan’s Alwar district. In 2017, dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was killed in Alwar in a case that drew national outrage and sparked prolonged legal proceedings. In 2018, Rakbar Khan was allegedly lynched in the same district while transporting cattle.
In February 2023, two men from Haryana’s Nuh, Junaid and Nasir, were found dead after their vehicle was allegedly set on fire in Rajasthan. That case led to the arrest of Monu Manesar, a well-known cow vigilante, and remains under judicial process. Civil rights organisations have repeatedly raised alarms about the targeting of Muslims under the guise of cow protection and have called for strict legal action against vigilante groups.
In Aamir’s case, police maintained that all angles are being examined. “We will proceed strictly based on evidence. If anyone is found responsible, appropriate legal action will be taken,” an officer said.
