New Delhi: Six men belonging to the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) are accused of murdering 23-year-old Lukman Ansari, who was transporting cattle near Igatpuri in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.
They suspected that Ansari and two of his aides, 36-year-old Pappu Atiq Paddi and 25-year-old Aqueel Gulam Gavandi, were illegally transporting the cattle and attacked them with bamboo sticks, The Hindu reported.
“We have now pressed the additional charge of murder against the six accused. Earlier, they had been booked under section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and other sections of the IPC,” a police inspector from Igatpuri told the Times of India.
According to The Hindu‘s report, the three men were carrying two cows, a bullock and a calf when their vehicle was intercepted by the accused, who demanded money from the three and beat them.
Paddi managed to escape and Gavandi survived the beating, but Ansari was found dead in a gorge on Saturday, June 10 by police.
“There are marks on Ansari’s body which indicate that he may have been dragged. We don’t know yet if they were carrying cattle legally or illegally,” the investigating officer in the case told The Hindu.