Madhya Pradesh: One killed, one critical after gaurakshak mob attack over alleged cattle slaughter

A man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in Satna's Amgar village on suspicion of cattle slaughtering.

In the incident that took place on Thursday, a mob attacked two men accusing them of cattle slaughtering. Riaz (45) died on the spot while his friend Shakeel (33) has been admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Satna Superintendent of Police Rajesh Hingankar said so far, four accused have been arrested and a case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. According to NDTV, the four accused have been identified as Pawan Singh Gond, Vijay Singh Gond, Phool Singh Gond and Narayan Singh Gond.

The police have also found a slaughtered bull and meat of two other bulls packed in sacks at the crime spot. Security has been tightened in the area as Home Minister Rajnath Singh is on a two-day visit to the state; Satna is one of his stops.

The police have also filed a case against Shakeel - who is in coma in a hospital in Jabalpur - for cow slaughter. The families of Shakeel and Riaz have denied cow slaughter charges, say reports.

In Madhya Pradesh, cow slaughter attracts a seven-year prison term and a fine of Rs. 5,000 if charges are proven. The state amended its laws in 2012, after it was found that the bovine population was rapidly increasing.

In September 2017, the Supreme Court had asked the centre whether it had the responsibility under the Constitution to protect people and also to ask states to crack down on cow vigilantism. The Supreme Court, apart from asking the government to file a response, also suggested a set of tough measures to curb the increasing instances of cow vigilantism.

With ANI Inputs