Agra police have apprehended Manoj Chaudhary, who identified himself as a member of a cow vigilante group, for the murder of a biryani vendor. Despite Chaudhary’s claims of retribution for the Pahalgam incident, police believe the crime stemmed from a quarrel.
BY PC Bureau
April 28, 2025 – Police have apprehended a self-proclaimed ‘gau rakshak’ (cow vigilante) in connection with the fatal shooting of a biryani vendor in Agra’s Tajganj area on Wednesday night. The accused, who later claimed in a video that the murder was an act of retribution for the Pahalgam attack, was arrested on Sunday following a series of raids across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to sources.
Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar identified the suspect as Manoj Chaudhary, who allegedly claimed to a member of the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal in the widely circulated video.
The incident occurred on the night of April 23 when 27-year-old Gulfam Ali, an employee at Shahid Ali Chicken Biryani owned by his cousin, was closing the shop. Reports indicate that three men arrived on a scooter, and two of them approached Ali. After a brief greeting, one of the men shot him in the chest. Ali’s coworker, 25-year-old Saif Ali, sustained minor injuries in the attack. The assailants fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
“Today,2 Katuas (Muslims) died in Agra city.The cow protection group is taking responsibility for this murder.
“I swear in the name of Mother India,if I cannot kill 2600 Muslims instead of 26, then I’m not a child of Mother India.#IndianMuslimGenocideAlert #SaveIndianMuslim pic.twitter.com/U7P1VvyAvF— Voice Of Bangladeshi Muslims 🇧🇩 (@VOBMUSLIMs) April 25, 2025
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Hours later, a video surfaced online featuring Manoj Chaudhary with pistols visible in his jeans. In the video, he claimed responsibility for the murder, asserted his affiliation with the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal, and stated his intent to avenge the deaths in the Pahalgam incident, vowing to retaliate with a significantly higher number.
However, police had earlier dismissed any link between the murder and an active unit of the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal in Agra, suggesting that the video was likely a “publicity stunt.” Following Chaudhary’s arrest, Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar reaffirmed this stance, stating, “The crime seems to have been committed as a result of a quarrel.”
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The arrest comes after an intensive investigation that spanned multiple states. Authorities are expected to release further details as the investigation progresses. The incident has sparked concerns in the local community, and police are urging calm while they continue their inquiries.
