In what is suspected as the first instance of cow vigilantism claiming a victim in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, two alleged cow smugglers werelynched by a mob at Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal.
A third person who was also travelling with the victims, however, managed to escape. He was later arrested by the police. Two persons Hafizul Sheikh and Anwar Hussein were beaten to death when they were ferrying animals, police at Dhupguri said refusing to coment on whether this was a part of cow vigilantism.
The two victims who were rushed to the hospital by the police where they were declared brought dead, sources said. “It is not certain and we are investigating the case,” said a senior police officer, adding there were strict orders to thwart attempt to communalise the region ahead of Bakr Id.