‘You don’t chase unknown person for 30 km without doing it earlier,’ says brother of teen shot dead by cow vigilantes

Police claim it was the first time the accused chased people for smuggling cows. Ajay disagrees: “You don’t chase an unknown person for 30 km without having done it earlier. They fired twice… broke past barriers. They knew this would be captured by cameras.

However, Faridabad Police spokesperson Yashpal says it has not come to their notice that the accused were in touch with police.ACP Crime, Aman Yadav said Aryan’s friend Sagar and his family thought it was a rival group chasing them and tried to flee . A case of attempted murder had been registered against Sagar recently.

Ajay also says they had planned a candlelight march “but police said it would lead to an inflammatory situation”. “Around 500 people have made a WhatsApp group to voice our demands,” he adds.

While Ajay speaks to people, his mother, Uma, breaks down and leaves the room. She returns a little while later and takes out a medal and a trophy Aryan had won recently in a weightlifting championship at his local gym. “He was the first one to bring home any laurels,” Uma says.

She recollects the morning of August 24 when she found out he was dead. That day, Harshit’s father, who is also their landlord, called Ajay to accompany him to Palwal. “He didn’t tell us anything but insisted Ajay go with him to Palwal. But Ajay took my husband and went… At 8.30 am, he came back… he said Aryan had sustained minor injuries and wanted to see me. I went to the hospital and they took me to the ICU… I saw Aryan and was shocked… By 12.30 pm, the doctor said he was gone,” Uma cries. The landlord’s second-floor home was locked when The Indian Express visited Tuesday. Aryan’s family has been living as their tenants on the third floor of the building for two years.

Uma says she wants life imprisonment for the accused. “… Anyone who comes in your path will be shot dead? Don’t they value any life?” she asks.

Eight km away, near Anil’s house in Parvatiya Colony, locals say he is known by the moniker, “gau rakshak”. Police say his outfit advocates cow protection.

Dinesh, who owns a salon, claims, “Over the last six years, he worked with Bittu Bajrangi (cow vigilante and national president of the Gau Raksha Bajrang Force) and other gau rakshaks. He used to take out his Bolero and perform these chases… After the Nuh violence (in 2023), Kaushik distanced himself from Bittu.”

Rajesh Devi (60), Anil’s mother, says he would get calls from people seeking assistance for an injured animal.
“He would go on chases to save the animals. Usually, nearby police stations informed him or they were informed before such incidents. Most of the time, the police accompanied him, but this time, my son didn’t tell them. It was a mistake,” she claims.