Indian villagers lynch two Muslims transporting cattle

Villagers in eastern India beat two Muslim cattle truckers to death on Sunday, police said, in yet another lynching on the pretext of protecting a beast considered sacred by many Hindus.

Villagers in eastern India beat two Muslim cattle truckers to death on Sunday, police said, in yet another lynching on the pretext of protecting a beast considered sacred by many Hindus.

The drivers were transporting cows in West Bengal near the border of Bangladesh when they were stopped by villagers, police said.

“The villagers blocked the road and forced them to stop the vehicle. The two men were then dragged out of the vehicle and lynched. The driver of the vehicle escaped,” said senior West Bengal police official Anuj Sharma.

An investigation is underway into the lynching and into whether the drivers had legally purchased the cattle or were smugglers involved in the illicit beef trade.