Highway Tragedy: Vigilantes Mistake Student for Cattle Smuggler, Shoot Dead

A class 12 student, Aryan Mishra, was mistakenly shot dead by five cow vigilantes in Palwal on August 23. The vigilantes mistook him and his friends for cattle smugglers and chased their car. Following a failed attempt to stop the vehicle, they opened fire, killing Mishra on the spot.

A class 12 student, Aryan Mishra, was allegedly chased and killed by five cow vigilantes in Palwal on August 23. The group, including Saurabh, Anil Kaushik, Varun, Krishna, and Adesh, mistook Mishra and his friends for cattle smugglers. All five have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

According to police reports, the vigilantes received a tip-off about suspected cattle smugglers conducting surveillance in two SUVs. They misidentified Mishra's group and followed their vehicle for 30 kilometers near the Gadhpuri toll on the Delhi-Agra National Highway. When the victims tried to speed away, the vigilantes fired shots, killing Mishra instantly.

All suspects have been remanded to judicial custody, and the illegal weapon and car used in the crime have been recovered. Further investigations are ongoing, police added.

(With inputs from agencies.)