A mob assaulted four people on the suspicion of being cattle smugglers in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh early on Wednesday. The incident took place in village Nagla Mandhata while the men were transporting a dead buffalo in a pick up van, PTI reported. A video of the incident was shared widely on social media on Wednesday.
The local police arrived and rescued the men, Hasayan Station House Officer Jitendra Kumar said.
The buffalo’s owner claimed that the men had poisoned the animal. Superintendent of Police Sushil Ghule said legal action will be taken if it is found that the men were cattle smugglers.
In the video, the men can be seen on the ground, apparently pleading with the attackers that a contractor had asked them to transport the dead animal. “The four men say they have a license to pick up dead animals and dispose of them,” senior police officer Siddhartha Verma said, according to NDTV. “We are getting that checked. As we investigate further, we will also act against the mob.”
The incident comes just days after a Muslim man was allegedly assaulted by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar, and died allegedly in police custody. The attackers claimed that they had the support of a local legislator. Three people have been arrested so far.
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