AMN /
Even before the controversy over lynching of Akhlaq, a Muslim man in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over beef could die down, A poor Muslim worker of cow traders was brutally killed by mob in Congress ruled Himachal Pradesh on suspicion that he was smuggling cattle.
Noman Akhtar, a resident of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, who was allegedly smuggling cattle along with four others, was beaten to death on Wednesday at a village some 28 km from Nahan town, the district headquarters.
A relative Imran Asgar, who was travelling with him claimed that Noman was beaten up by Bajrang Dal activists after they stopped the truck carrying cattle.
The four other occupants of the truck were booked under the Himachal Pradesh Cow Slaughter Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after police found the truck was carrying cattle, the report added.
The police, with the help of local villagers,could arrest all the five cow smugglers but they could not arrest the the people involved in lynching Noman.
The villagers, who far outnumbered the policemen, beat up the alleged cow smugglers after they were overpowered, police sources said.
Hunt for lynchers
Himachal Pradesh Police on Saturday intensified its operation to arrest villagers who lynched an alleged cattle smuggler in a fit of rage in Sirmaur district two days back.
His accomplices, who also got injuries in the incident, have been hospitalised at Sarhan in the district.
“The search operation is on to arrest the accused,” Superintendent of Police Somya Sambasivan said
She said a murder case has been registered. “We will arrest the accused soon. It is probable that the people who alerted the police about the illegal cattle transportation might have killed Noman,” she added.