NEW DELHI, June 28 (Xinhua) -- A Muslim man in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand has been badly thrashed and his house set on fire by Hindu mobs after a dead cow was allegedly found in his home.
The incident took place in a remote village, some 200 km from the state capital of Ranchi, late Tuesday afternoon, police said Wednesday.
The victim, identified as Usman Ansari, is currently battling for his life at a hospital in the nearby town of Dhanbad, where he was admitted by cops who rescued him from the clutches of the mobs.
"Police had to resort to baton charge and firing in the air to quell the mob so that the victim and his family could be saved," local police chief Akhilesh B. Variar told the media.
"Though no one has been arrested in connection with the incident, some 50 people have been detained so far for questioning," he added.
Local TV channels showed footage of the victim being treated at the hospital and reported that a huge police force has been deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident.
Cow is considered sacred in this Hindu-majority country and many Indian states have banned the slaughter of the animal.
The incident came days after a Muslim teenager in the northern state of Haryana was lynched allegedly by his co-passengers in a train after they called him and his two brothers as beef-eaters.
And in April, a Muslim dairy farmer was lynched in the western state of Rajasthan by cow vigilantes for allegedly smuggling cows.
