Latest news with #KshatriyaGauRakshaDal
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
UP 'gau rakshak' who shot biryani seller over 'Pahalgam revenge' held; cops call it 'publicity stunt'
AGRA: Police have arrested the self-proclaimed ' gau rakshak ' (cow vigilante) who allegedly shot dead a biryani seller in Agra's Tajganj area on Wednesday night and later claimed in a video that it was a retribution to the Pahalgam attack . Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar said the arrested suspect had in the video identified himself as Manoj Chaudhary, a self-proclaimed 'gau rakshak' and alleged member of the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal. The suspect was arrested following multiple raids across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, sources said on Sunday. On the night of April 23, Gulfam Ali, 27 - who worked at Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani, owned by his cousin - was closing the shop when three men arrived on a scooter. Two of them approached and greeted him before one of them shot him in the chest. Police had dismissed gau rakshak link; said likely 'publicity stunt' His co-worker Saif Ali, 25, suffered minor injuries in the attack. The assailants escaped after the shooting. Hours later, a video circulated online showing Chaudhary, with pistols tucked in his jeans, alleging he was from Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal and taking responsibility for the murder. He claimed that he will avenge the killing of 26 - in an apparent reference to the Pahalgam incident - with 2600. Police had earlier dismissed the link of the murder to any operational Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal unit in Agra, adding the video was "likely a publicity stunt." After the arrest, police commissioner Deepak Kumar reiterated the cops' earlier stance, saying, "The crime seems to have been committed as a result of a quarrel over the quality of food served by the biryani seller a few days ago." Gulfam is survived by his wife, Fiza, 23, and their three children - eight-month-old Mahir Raza, two-and-a-half-year-old Farhan and five-year-old Jannat. His father, Imam Baksh, told TOI, "Who will support them now? I don't know why my son was killed. He had no enmity with anyone. I request govt to provide financial assistance to the family." "That video was made to derail the Hindu-Muslim unity in the area. We believe in the law and the Constitution, and the accused should get punishment as per the law," added Baksh.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- The Hindu
Agra police deny communal angle in restaurant worker's murder
The Agra police have firmly refuted claims suggesting a communal motive behind the fatal shooting of a restaurant employee in Agra on April 23. The police maintained that the incident was not connected to the victim's religious identity and warned of strict action against those spreading misinformation that could disrupt communal harmony. The victim, Gulfam (31), was employed at a restaurant near Shilpgram Road in the Tajganj area. He was shot by unidentified assailants while shutting the establishment late on Tuesday evening. Gulfam was rushed to SN Medical College, where he was declared dead on arrival. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the police clarified that Gulfam's brother, Saif Ali - who sustained injuries in the same incident - confirmed that the attackers were unknown and made no reference to the victims' names or religion during the assault 'In the incident under the Tajganj police station limits, the injured Saif Ali categorically stated that the assailants were unidentified and did not ask the name or religion of the victim. Any attempt to circulate misleading or false information about the case on social media will be dealt with sternly,' the official statement read. Multiple police teams have been formed to identify and apprehend the accused. The incident took a new turn when a video surfaced on Instagram, featuring two individuals claiming to belong to an organisation called the 'Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal'. In the video, they allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack, citing retaliation for a recent terrorist incident in Pahalgam. However, Agra police officials have dismissed the claims made in the video. 'The video appears to have been created for publicity purposes. There is no organisation by the name 'Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal' active in Agra,' a senior officer said. The police have urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified content related to the case, warning that legal action will be initiated against those found spreading rumours.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Agra Biryani restaurant worker shot dead, man in viral video says 'Pahalgam avenged'
A restaurant worker, identified as Gulfam Ali, was shot dead in Agra, and his colleague was injured in the firing. Both of them worked at Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani, which was owned by Gulfam's cousin Shahid Ali. The incident happened on the intervening night of Wednesday through Thursday, reported The Indian Express. Hours after the killing, a video popped up on social media and quickly gained traction in which two men are seen claiming responsibility for the crime as an act of avenging the Pahalgam terror attack. In the purported video, a man is heard saying that two people (he uses a religious slur) were killed and that Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal takes responsibility for the act. The man is seen armed with two pistols and a knife strapped to his waist, and another man similarly armed accompanying him. 'I pledge in the name of Bharat Mata that if we do not avenge the killing of 26 with 2,600, I am not a son of Bharat Mata,' he is heard saying in the video in Hindi, referring to the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 dead, mostly tourists. According to a Times of India report, the man identifies himself as Manoj Chaudhary, while the identity of the man accompanying him is not known. could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Reacting to the video, the local police have denied the claim and said no such cow vigilante group is operational in Agra. 'No organisation in the name of 'Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal' is operational (here). The video on social media appears to be a publicity stunt. An FIR has been registered at Tajganj and a probe is on,' TOI quoted police as saying. According to Agra's police commissioner Deepak Kumar, the killing happened after a quarrel over the quality of food at the Biryani restaurant a few days back, and the men in the video are using the incident for publicity. "The crime was a fallout of a quarrel over the quality of food a few days ago. Investigation has revealed that the two men in the video are not Kshatriyas, and their self-declared status as gau rakshaks is also doubtful. At this stage, it appears to be more of a publicity stunt. CCTV footage from the crime scene shows the presence of four individuals. We have arrested a suspect," Kumar told TOI. Gulfam and his co-worker Saif Ali were targeted by three men on a scooter. While Gulfam was shot dead, Saif Ali almost dodged the bullet but it grazed his neck, the report says. An FIR under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita pertaining to murder and attempt to murder has been filed.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Agra biryani shop murder: Self-styled ‘gau rakshak' claims revenge for Pahalgam attack, but police call it fake
Hours after a 27-year-old restaurant worker named Gulfam Ali was shot dead and his colleague injured in Agra , a man claiming to be a ' gau rakshak ' ( cow protector ) posted a video online taking responsibility for the attack. He said it was revenge for the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 people lost their lives. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India pulled the plug on IWT when Pakistanis are fighting over water What makes this India-Pakistan standoff more dangerous than past ones The problem of Pakistan couldn't have come at a worse time for D-St The man identified himself as Manoj Chaudhary, a member of the so-called Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal . In the video, which has been widely shared on social media, he appears with another armed man and says, 'Two [slur] were killed in Taj city Agra. Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal takes responsibility. I swear by Bharat Mata, if we don't avenge the 26 deaths with 2,600, I am not her son.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo He is seen with pistols tucked into his jeans and knives on his belt, shouting a religious slogan at the end of the video. Agra police , however, said the murder had nothing to do with the Pahalgam attack. They called the video a publicity stunt and said no such organisation called Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal is active in the area. Live Events Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar told TOI, 'The murder was the result of a quarrel over the quality of food a few days ago. The two men in the video are not Kshatriyas, and their claim of being cow protectors seems fake. CCTV footage from the crime scene shows four people. We've already arrested one suspect.' Gulfam Ali worked as a waiter at Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani in Tajganj, which is owned by his cousin Shahid Ali. Around midnight, three men on a scooter arrived and shot him. He died on the spot. His colleague Saif Ali, 25, was also shot at but managed to avoid serious injury. Police have filed an FIR under sections 103 (1) (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is still ongoing. Inputs from TOI
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Time of India
Agra biryani seller shot dead, killer says 'Pahalgam revenge'
AGRA: Hours after 27-year-old restaurant worker Gulfam Ali was shot dead and his co-worker injured, a self-proclaimed 'gau rakshak' (cow vigilante) who identified himself as Manoj Chaudhary and said he was member of ' Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal ', took to social media on Friday to announce that the murder was "retribution" for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were killed. He said "there were more deaths to be avenged". A widely circulated video on social media purportedly shows a man, with two pistols tucked into his jeans and knives strapped on, claiming responsibility for the killing. In the video, Chaudhary, accompanied by another man, is heard saying: "Two k#### (slur) were killed in Taj city Agra. Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal takes responsibility for this." I pledge in the name of Bharat Mata that if we do not avenge the killing of 26 with 2600, I am not a son of Bharat Mata." He then raises a religious slogan, with the other man chiming in. The identity of Chaudhary's associate is not known. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Is Reported To Have Read Every... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Police, however, rejected the claims and said, "No organisation in the name of 'Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal' is operational (here). The video on social media appears to be a publicity stunt. An FIR has been filed at Tajganj police station, and a probe is on." Agra police commissioner Deepak Kumar told TOI: "The crime was a fallout of a quarrel over the quality of food a few days ago. Probe has revealed the two men are not Kshatriyas, and their self-declared status as gau rakshaks is also doubtful." He added, "The motive can only be confirmed after the accused are arrested. It appears to be more of a publicity stunt. CCTV footage from the crime scene shows the presence of four individuals. We have arrested a suspect." Gulfam worked as a waiter at Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani, owned by his cousin Shahid Ali, in Tajganj area of the city. Around midnight, he was closing for the day when three men came on a scooter and shot him dead. Co-worker Saif Ali, 25, dived down and suffered minor injuries after a pellet grazed his neck. Saif told TOI: "Two men walked up to Gulfam after parking their scooter some distance away. They said hello to him, to which he responded, and one of them pulled out a pistol and shot him in his chest. Another assailant was standing near the scooter, and the three sped away soon after." Gulfam was rushed to SN Medical College, where he was declared dead. An FIR was lodged under BNS sections 103 (1) (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder). Police teams are currently analysing CCTV footage and guarding border checkpoints to nab the suspects. Gulfam was laid to rest after a postmortem on Thursday. His family is now looking to the govt for justice.
