Uma, the mother of 19-year-old Aryan Mishra, is grief-stricken after her son was killed by men associated with the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal, who mistook him for a Muslim “cow smuggler”.
In an emotional statement, Uma questioned the motives behind the killing, asking, “Are Muslims not human? Are they not our brothers? Why would you kill a Muslim?”
A video of her remarks went viral online.
Aryan Mishra shot by cow vigilantes
Aryan, a Class XII student, was chased and shot dead by the cow vigilantes near the Gadpuri toll plaza on NH-19 in Haryana’s Palwal district on August 23.
The accused, led by self-proclaimed “cow protector” and local Hindutva leader Anil Kaushik, pursued Aryan’s car for about 50 km before opening fire.
In a shocking revelation, Anil Kaushik reportedly told Aryan’s father, Siyanand Mishra, that his son’s killers thought Aryan was a Muslim and “now regret killing a Brahmin”.
This statement further outraged Uma, who questioned the attackers’ motives and their disregard for human life.
“Many Muslims in our vicinity protect us and I see them as brothers,” Uma said.
Bajrang Dal activist expresses ‘regret’
Anil Kaushik, a notorious cow vigilante from the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal, has expressed regret for killing 19-year-old Aryan Mishra, whom he mistook for a Muslim “cow smuggler”.
Kaushik, known locally as the “Monu Manesar of Faridabad”, is infamous for his anti-Muslim activities.
Aryan’s father, Siyanand Mishra, visited Kaushik in jail, where the latter touched his feet and asked for forgiveness, saying,
“He said he thought my son was a Muslim. Now he regrets killing a Brahmin.” Mishra questioned Kaushik’s motives, asking, “Why would you kill a Muslim? Only because of a cow? You could have shot at the car wheel or called the police. Why take the law into your own hands? But Kaushik had no response to it,” a report by The Print quoted Mishra.
Strict action demanded
The incident has sparked outrage among civil society groups and human rights organizations, who have condemned the killing and demanded strict action against the perpetrators.
The accused, identified as Anil Kaushik, Varun Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Adesh Singh, and Saurav Kumar, have been arrested under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder), 190 (unlawful assembly), and 191(3) (armed with deadly weapons) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
