Cow vigilantism: 1 killed in Rajasthan mob beating

A man suspected to be smuggling cows has been beaten to death by a mob in yet another instance of vigilantism in Alwar district of northern Indian state of Rajasthan, police said today.

The victim was identified as Akbar Khan, 28, a resident of a village in neighbouring Haryana state, said Subhash Sharma, station house officer (SHO) of Ramgarh Police Station.

The incident took place last night when Akbar and another man were taking two cows to their village through a forest area near Lalwandi in Alwar district, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

A group of people severely thrashed Akbar suspecting him to be a cattle smuggler while the man accompanying him managed to escape, SHO Sharma said, adding that the allegation against Akbar was yet to be verified.

Akbar was rushed to a government-run hospital in Ramgarh where doctors declared him dead, the police official also said.

A case has been filed with the police station against several unnamed persons in this connection, he added.

Over the past one year, several such incidents of mob beating have occurred in Alwar district with cow vigilante groups targeting people transporting cattle.

The latest incident came less than a week after the Supreme Court of India had described the cases of being people beaten to death by cow vigilantes as a crime and not merely a law and order problem and said no one can take law into their hands.

In September last year, the Indian apex court had directed all state governments to appoint a senior police official as a nodal officer in each district to ensure that incidents of cow vigilantism are prevented and dealt with effectively.