‘They’re criminals’: why cow vigilante violence in India has surged under Modi 3.0

That night, August 23, was Mishra’s last. After a 40km chase, the gunmen caught up with the car driven by one of his brothers. Two bullets struck Mishra – one in his neck, the other in his chest. He died instantly.

The attackers were later identified as cow vigilantes or gau rakshaks, who kill in retaliation for cattle slaughter. But Mishra was not the beef trader they had believed him to be.

What exactly transpired that night is still unclear. Details of the brutal midnight ambush are still emerging as police conduct an investigation.

Five men, all affiliated with a village-level organisation, are now in custody. Their group, which calls itself Live for Nation, claims to protect cows.