Yet another report of highway horror from Uttar Pradesh, following last month’s incident when one man was shot dead and four women were gang raped at gun point on the highway near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh. This time it was a newly married couple Aditya Kumar and Vijaya Lakshmi, residents of Ramapuram in Chennai who were attacked by bike borne men on NH 58 in Muzaffarnagar.

This couple from Chennai was touring North India and had hired a Royal Enfield motorcycle. They visited Haridwar from Delhi, were returning from Haridwar and were on their way to New Delhi to catch a flight back to Chennai, when they were accosted by the goons on bikes.

The incident occurred at around 4 pm in an area under Nai Mandi police station in Muzaffarnagar. The attackers shot Aditya Kumar in the neck while his wife, Vijaya Lakshmi sustained serious injuries. The goons then fled the spot.

The injured couple was being accompanied by a friend Shyam Teja, who informed the police while a passer-by took the injured duo to a nearby hospital. Later they were admitted into a hospital in Delhi. Earlier today it was revealed that the husband died in the hospital.

Vijaylakshmi’s statement to the police

“Both men had full-face helmets so we could not see what they looked like. We have no idea why they targeted us. They did not try to harm me or take our cash and belongings. There was also no cause for road rage. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity. As I fell from the motorcycle, I saw that my husband had been shot. Everything happened in less than 20 seconds. I could not note down the registration number of the attackers’ motorbike. Shyam was there to help us and passersby soon came to our assistance.”

Police investigating the case state that it could either be a case of mistaken identity or road rage while other angles are also being probed. CCTV footage from hotels and markets in the vicinity are being scanned for clues of the killers.

This indeed is a shocking incident. There are hundreds of bikers across India who love the freedom of biking across the country. This incident puts a huge question mark on the safety of bikers on a road trip in Uttar Pradesh.