Agra: A 27-year-old Muslim waiter named Gulfam was shot dead in Agra on Wednesday night, sparking a flurry of communal rumours online. However, the police have firmly dismissed claims that the incident was a “revenge killing” for the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, terming such narratives false and inflammatory, reported the Varta Bharati.
Gulfam, employed at a restaurant on Shilpgram Road, was gunned down around midnight by three unknown assailants on a scooter. Another man, Saif Ali (25), who worked at a nearby dhaba, sustained a bullet injury and underwent surgery. He is currently stable.
Shortly after the attack, a video surfaced online showing two individuals claiming to be members of the “Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal,” taking responsibility for the killing as retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists. They claimed the act was religiously motivated.
However, the Agra Police swiftly rejected this version. The Police Commissionerate clarified on its official X account that no such organization exists in the city, and preliminary findings suggest a personal dispute, reportedly linked to food quality, as the motive.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tajganj) Areeb Ahmed confirmed that an FIR under Sections 101 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita has been registered. Six police teams are reviewing CCTV footage and monitoring city borders.
One of the two individuals from the viral video has been taken into custody, and efforts are ongoing to nab the second. ACP (Cyber Cell) Sukanya Sharma cautioned that spreading fake communal content online could attract legal action under the IT Act. Several online accounts have already been flagged for inciting hate.
Doctors at S.N. Medical College confirmed that Gulfam was killed by a close-range gunshot. Forensic experts recovered three empty bullet shells from the scene. Witnesses described the attackers as being in their early twenties, fleeing towards Fatehabad Road.
The citizens’ group Hindustani Biradari has called for peace and deployed volunteers to fight misinformation online.
Restaurant owner Shahid Ali has urged the authorities to enhance night patrolling and upgrade CCTV systems in the tourist-heavy Shilpgram-Taj East Gate area, which was recently visited by US Vice President J.D. Vance and family.
Police are continuing to explore all possible angles, including the potential for communal provocation, and expect major developments within 48 hours.
