A class 12 student in Haryana was mistaken for a cattle smuggler and shot dead by a group of five cow vigilantes. The incident occurred on August 23 when the accused, identified as Saurabh, Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, and Adesh, received information about suspected cattle smugglers in the city.
The vigilantes followed the victim’s car, thinking it belonged to the smugglers, for about 30 kilometers near the Gadhpuri toll on the Delhi-Agra National Highway. When they asked the victim’s car to stop, the driver accelerated, prompting the accused to open fire. The victim, Aryan Mishra, was killed on the spot.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that on the night of August 23, they had received information that some suspected cattle smugglers driving two SUVs were doing recce in the city.
They mistook the victim, Aryan Mishra, and his friends, Shanky and Harshit, for those cattle smugglers and followed their car for about 30 kilometers near the Gadhpuri toll on the Delhi-Agra National Highway, a senior police officer said.
The accused told the police that when they asked the victim’s car to be stopped, the driver accelerated following which they opened fire, and Mishra was killed on the spot near the Gadhpuri toll in Palwal, the police officer further said.
All the accused have been sent to judicial custody after being presented in a city court, he added, saying that the illegal weapon and the car used in the crime have been recovered.
Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aman Yadav from the Faridabad Police stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest that Anil Kaushik and his associates are cow vigilantes or affiliated with any such organisation.
However, NDTV visited Kaushik’s residence in Faridabad on the same day and interviewed his mother, who provided detailed information about his involvement in “cow protection” and the chase he was part of on August 23.
“Yes, my son was chasing that car that night. He believed there was a cow smuggler in the vehicle. He also mentioned that the first bullet was fired from the Duster. However, he did not discharge any bullets himself, and I am unsure whose bullet hit Aryan Mishra. My son is innocent. He is dedicated to cow protection and serving the community,” she explained.
NDTV also observed two vehicles parked in Kaushik’s compound. The first one, a Mahindra Bolero, had ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ written on it, while the second was a cow ambulance with the names of Kaushik and ‘Live for Nation’ displayed prominently.
