A cow protection activist known as Farsawale Baba was killed after being run over by a vehicle allegedly carrying smuggled cattle in Mathura's Kosikalan area early Saturday morning, triggering widespread violence in which thousands of agitated villagers blocked the Delhi-Agra Highway, pelted stones at vehicles and police, and attempted to set the smugglers' overturned truck ablaze.

At around 6:30 am, Kotwan outpost in-charge Sandeep Kumar and his team laid a cordon following intelligence about cattle being smuggled from Haryana. Farsawale Baba — widely known for carrying an axe and dedicating himself to cow protection — arrived at the scene and attempted to physically intercept the smugglers' vehicle. The vehicle ran him over before losing control and overturning approximately 500 metres away near Kosikalan. Police pursued the vehicle and arrested two alleged smugglers, but three to four others fled under cover of darkness. Three cows were rescued from the vehicle. A constable was also injured in the incident and has been hospitalised.

News of Baba's death spread rapidly, drawing thousands of villagers and Hindu organisation activists onto NH-19. The mob blocked the highway, prevented the removal of the body, pelted stones at stranded vehicles — shattering windows of dozens of cars — and turned on police personnel who arrived to restore order, forcing security forces to temporarily retreat. The smugglers' overturned vehicle was vandalised and attempts were made to set it on fire.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took suo motu cognizance of the incident, expressing condolences to the deceased's family and issuing strict instructions for officials to reach the scene immediately, conduct a swift investigation, and ensure the harshest possible legal action against the culprits. "Criminals will not be spared under any circumstances," the CM stated, reiterating the government's zero-tolerance policy on law and order. Regular updates on the investigation have been sought by the Chief Minister's Office.

SP Rural Triguna Bisen and the CO Kosikalan reached the spot with reinforcements, assuring villagers that absconding smugglers would be arrested under the National Security Act. Forensic teams have collected evidence, and security has been significantly tightened across Mathura and surrounding sensitive areas.