Class 12 Student Shot Dead in Faridabad: Were the Accused Linked to Cow Vigilantism?

Class 12 Student Shot Dead in Faridabad: Were the Accused Linked to Cow Vigilantism?

Mishra, a Class 12 student from Faridabad in Haryana, was shot dead by five men on August 23, mistaking him for a cattle smuggler.

All five suspects were identified as Saurabh, Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, and Adesh and reportedly taken into custody on August 28, with the police currently having custody of them.

The suspects had initially said that they received intelligence about some suspected cattle smugglers operating in the area with two SUVs. Believing Aryan and his friends, Shanky and Harshit, were those smugglers, they chased them for about 30 km on the Delhi-Agra National Highway.

In a bid to stop Aryan’s vehicle, the driver accelerated the vehicle. The accused opened fire on it, due to which Aryan died instantly near Gadhpuri toll in Palwal.

While police have not branded these suspects as cow vigilantes, reports from NDTV indicated that the family of Anil Kaushik may have had links to such groups. NDTV spoke to the mother of Anil Kaushik, who said her son was convinced he was on the trail of cattle smugglers; she also declared that while her son did take part in the chasing, he did not fire the shot that killed Pehlu Khan.

It also pointed out that the vehicle marked ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ stood right outside his house, and a cow ambulance was stationed inside, further hinting at affiliations with activities related to cow protection.

The accused are currently in judicial custody as the police remand expired. The police had recovered the illegal weapon used for committing the crime and were continuing with the investigation, including verifying old enmities as a motive.

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The weapon would be sent for forensic examination while police are checking the statement provided by the accused. The victim’s father has also released a statement pointing to one of his son’s acquaintances as being part of the conspiracy against him.