A mob in India lynched a man following rumors that he and his family had been storing and consuming beef at home, a taboo in the Hindu-majority nation. Police report that 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was dragged from his home in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh and attacked by 100 people Monday evening, according to Newsmax.
His son, Danish, was also dragged out and beaten alongside him, as their family watched in horror.
Noticing a disturbance, police arrived on the scene and managed to rescue both Akhlaq and Danish but not before Akhlaq succumbed to his injuries, according to the International Business Times.
"When our team reached the spot a crowd was there outside his house. They (police) managed to rescue him and take him to the hospital, but his life could not be saved," said senior police superintendent Kiran S.
Following the incident, police arrested six people and a local priest was taken in for questioning after it was revealed that the "announcement about the family consuming beef was made at a [local] temple," according to the BBC.
Aklaq's daughter Sajida recounted the incident in an interview, saying: "They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother. My father was dragged outside and beaten with bricks."
"They also tried to molest me and hit my grandmother on her face," she added. "They threatened to kill me if I said a word to the police."
She was later quoted by the Indian Express saying that the family had mutton in the fridge and not beef. Authorities took the meat in question to forensics for examination.
