“A truck was intercepted by locals on the suspicion that it was carrying beef [cow meat]… we’ve seized the truck and arrested three persons in this regard and further investigation is on”, said Daya Shankar, a senior police official.

It is said that the truck driver told the police that they were carrying only buffalo meat.

After taking charge of the Animal Husbandry Department, Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras had declared that all illegal slaughter houses in the State will be closed down.

A Rashtriya Janata Dal leader blamed the newly formed BPJ-JD(U) government for the incident. “With the BJP government coming to power, such incidents of cow vigilantes and mob lynching will be a regular affair in the State,” he said.