Five suspects were arrested after two Muslim cowherds hanged to death in India

Police have arrested five suspects in the crime of  hanging to death two Muslims herding cattle in India

Police have arrested five suspects in the crime of  hanging to death two Muslims herding cattle in India, in an incident that led to violent protests sparked an outbreak of violence in the eastern state of Jharkhand amid reports the attackers were Hindu vigilantes.

The bodies of the two cattle traders were found hanging from a tree in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Friday, the Hindustan Times reported on Saturday.

Mazlum Ansari, 32, and Imteyaz Khan, the 13-year-old son of another cattle trader, were residents of Balumath, whi8ch is 110 km from Ranchi, it said. The area saw clashes between Hindus and Muslims over the eating of beef three months ago.

“Police have arrested five persons and are looking for others involved in the incident,” Latehar police Chief Anoop Birtharay stated.

“This horrible incident is a result of the sustained communal campaign conducted by the Hindutva outfits,” a statement issued by the Communist Party of India.

Attacks on cattle traders, who are typically from the Muslim minority that makes up 14 percent of India’s population, have been reported from several parts of India recently. Last September, a man in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri village was lynched for allegedly eating beef.