Mob beats up suspected cow smugglers in Dhule; MLA intervenes

Nashik: Two suspected cow smugglers were beaten up by a mob near the Dhule railway station area on Sunday afternoon after people allegedly found cows being transported illegally in a vehicle. The duo were later rescued and handed over to the police after BJP MLA Anup Agrawal intervened.Deputy superintendent of police Rajkumar Upase said the incident took place around 4.30pm, and confirmed that the Dhule city police are in the process of registering a case.According to MLA Agrawal, passersby first noticed suspicious movement when “the limb of a bovine animal was hanging out of a vehicle’s luggage compartment.” This prompted people to chase the vehicle and intercept it near the railway station.After stopping the vehicle, the crowd began assaulting the two men transporting the animals. Agrawal rushed to the spot and stopped the mob from continuing the assault. He cautioned against vigilantism, stating that he has repeatedly urged the police to act against illegal slaughterhouses in the city. He warned that if people start taking the law into their own hands, the situation could spiral out of control.The police said further action will be taken as part of the ongoing investigation.