Aamir drove truck with vegetables, not cattle. Yet cow vigilantes killed him

Bhiwadi: A 28-year-old man, Aaamir, was allegedly killed by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi area in the early hours of March 2, with his family claiming that he was shot by members of the Bajrang Dal who suspected he was illegally smuggling cows.

Aamir worked as a truck driver and had no involvement in dealing with cows, his family said. The deceased’s uncle, Zubair, said that the vigilantes had deliberately crashed their car into Aamir’s truck. Once the truck stopped, they shot him in the head without exchanging any dialogue and left another person injured.

They were reportedly informed on the morning of March 2. Zubair was told that Aamir was taken to a police station, but the family was repeatedly misinformed about his whereabouts until an hour later, a local told them two youths were brought to a hospital.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) had assured them that action would be taken. However, Zubair said the officials changed their narratives twice. First, they claimed Aamir was hit by a stone, and later, they said the matter was under investigation. The authorities reportedly told them they were busy with ensuring Holi processions were carried out safely.

The first information report (FIR) filed by Khalil Ahmed, and accessed by the Observer Post, said that Aamir and his associate, Malmu, had their cars parked early in the morning when a camper rammed into them multiple times.

A case was registered under sections 103(1) (punishment for murder), 352 (committing a crime intentionally) and 125 (endangering human life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Aamir was married, had one child and was the sole breadwinner for his family. His wife was four months pregnant while his sister was set to be married in the coming month.

“His mother, father, wife and children are left behind. A sister has to get married next month. He was the sole breadwinner,” Zubair said.

“He was married, around 28 years old, he used to drive a truck and has three children. He was the eldest son; he used to feed his family and they killed him. He has young children, and his wife is pregnant. What shall they do?” his grandfather, Nasru, asked.

Both Nasru and Zubair strongly believed that Aaamir drove a truck filled with vegetables and not cattle. “He drove his uncle’s truck and usually ferried vegetables. He had nothing to do with cow smuggling,” Zubair said.

Police say stone pelting between two groups

In contrast, the police said they received information early on March 3 about a pickup truck transporting cattle being chased by people.

A confrontation allegedly broke out near Sare Kala village. “A young man identified as Aamir was seriously injured and later declared dead at the hospital. The exact cause of death will be confirmed only after a detailed investigation,” Bhiwadi Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Choudhary told reporters.

According to the police, five cattle were recovered from the site and stones were found inside a vehicle. Aamir was reportedly in the truck and suffered injuries during the struggle, the DSP said.

“It will become clear after the post-mortem whether the death was caused by a bullet or due to injuries sustained during the clash,” he said.

While they await the results, Aamir’s family alleges that he was killed for being a Muslim and that cow smuggling was used as a front. “They kill anyone and label him a cow smuggler, especially Muslims, and that’s how they get away with it,” Nasru said.

“Aamir had no business with cows and cow smuggling. It’s the Bajrang Dal and RSS’ doing. This is a dictatorship,” Zubair said.