Haryana student mistaken as cattle smuggler, chased 30 km and fatally shot
PTC Web Desk: In a tragic incident in Haryana’s Faridabad, a Class 12 student was allegedly killed after being chased and fatally shot by cow vigilantes who mistakenly identified him as a cattle smuggler. The incident occurred on August 23. As many as five persons identified as Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, Adesh, and Saurabh have been arrested. The accused are reported to be part of a cow vigilante group that has been active in the area.
The vigilantes reportedly received a tip-off that suspected cattle smugglers were conducting reconnaissance in the city, driving Renault Duster and Toyota Fortuner vehicles. Acting on this information, the group spotted a Duster at Patel Chowk and, suspecting it to be linked to the alleged cattle smuggling operation, attempted to intercept it.
The Duster was being driven by Harshit, with Aryan Mishra and their friend Shanky as passengers. Unaware that they were being pursued by cow vigilantes, the trio believed they were under threat due to an unrelated personal rivalry involving Shanky. Fearing for their lives, they decided not to stop when approached by the vigilantes and instead sped away, triggering a 30-km chase along the Delhi-Agra National Highway near Gadhpuri.
During the chase, the vigilantes opened fire on the fleeing vehicle. A bullet struck Aryan, who was seated in the passenger seat, near his neck. Despite being wounded, the group continued driving until they were forced to stop. Fearing that the occupants of the car might retaliate, the vigilantes fired again, this time fatally wounding Aryan.
It was only after the car stopped and the vigilantes discovered two women inside the vehicle that they realised they had targeted the wrong persons. Panicked, the attackers fled the scene, leaving the group to seek help. Aryan was rushed to a nearby hospital, but despite the medical team’s best efforts, he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
- With inputs from agencies
