Youth transporting cattle beaten to death by ‘gau rakshaks’ in Maharashtra's Nashik

The alleged crime came to light on June 10 when Lukman Ansari’s body was recovered from a gorge at Ghatandevi in Igatpuri area

In a shocking incident, a youth in his 20s was allegedly beaten to death by a group of gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes) on suspicion of cow smuggling in the Nashik district of Maharashtra last week.

The incident was reported from the hill station of Igatpuri in Nashik. The deceased was identified as Lukman Suleman Ansari, a resident of Padgha in Thane district.

According to reports reaching here, the Igatpuri police have arrested six persons and the probe is underway.

Also Read | Vigilante murder state’s shame

The alleged lynching came to light on June 10 when the body of Lukman was found in a 150-metre-deep gorge in the Ghatandevi area of Igatpuri.

Nashik Rural Superintendent of Police Shahaji Umap is overseeing the probe.

The incident occurred on June 8 when Ansari, along with his friends Atiq Paddi and Aqueel Gavandi purchased a bullock, two cows and a calf for around Rs 18,000 from a farmer-woman in Shahapur.

They were transporting the cattle in a tempo and were stopped by a group of cow vigilantes in Vihigaon in Shahpur, in Thane. Later they took them to an isolated spot and started beating them up. While Lukman was badly injured, but his two colleagues managed to escape.

The six arrested accused were identified as Chetan Sonawane, Pradeep Adhole, Bhaskar Bhagat, Shekhar Gaikwad, Vijay Bhagde and Rupesh Joshi. They are reportedly members of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal.

They had claimed the victim fell into a gorge and died, but the police are probing the matter.