In the early hours of March 2, a 28-year-old Muslim truck driver from the Palwal region of Haryana was shot and killed close to Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. His family claims that members of Hindutva groups were involved in the murder.
According to the family, the victim, Aamir Khan, left the house at around four in the morning to deliver fruits to Delhi's Azadpur mandi. Aamir was the main provider for his family and had been a pickup truck driver for almost ten years.
Speaking to Maktoob Media, Aamir’s uncle Zubair said the victim had loaded fruits into his vehicle and was preparing to leave when the incident occurred. He added that Aamir had planned to pick up a helper from Sarai Kala village before beginning the journey.
Zubair alleged that while Aamir was waiting near a mosque with the loaded pickup vehicle, a group of men associated with Bajrang Dal arrived in a Bolero car. According to him, other vehicles rammed into Aamir’s vehicle and the attackers later opened fire, fatally shooting him, Maktoob Media reported.
A person accompanying Aamir, identified by the family as Tauseem, was reportedly present at the time. The family said the helper later informed them about the attack after managing to escape from the scene.
Zubair said the family received a call around 7 a.m. informing them that police had taken Aamir to a police station in the Bhiwadi area. He added that when they tried to locate him, they were directed from one police station to another but could not find him.
According to the family, when they eventually reached the government hospital in Bhiwadi, they were informed that Aamir had already died.
They said the post-mortem examination confirmed that he died after being shot in the head and that the bullet was recovered during the autopsy.
Aamir was shot dead, according to a handwritten complaint that was submitted to the police, and it calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
In relation to the crime, police have filed a Section 302 (murder) case at the Chopanki police station in Rajasthan. A number of people have been listed as accused, including Sonu from Bhiwadi, Devendra from Bhiwadi, and others from nearby Rewari district in Haryana, according to the complaint and documents given to the police.
The involvement of about ten to twelve unnamed individuals is also mentioned in the complaint. These names have not yet been included in the existing FIR, though.
Local police officials have not publicly confirmed the allegations linking the killing to cow vigilante groups, stating that the case remains under investigation.
The family alleged that Aamir may have been targeted by individuals claiming to stop cattle smuggling, but maintained that he was transporting fruits and had no connection with the cattle trade. They have demanded an impartial investigation and strict punishment for those responsible.