The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested three persons in Aligarh district for allegedly assaulting four men and setting their vehicle on fire a day earlier after claiming that they were transporting cow meat, The Indian Express reported.

Amrit Jain, the Aligarh Rural superintendent of police, told The Hindu that information had been received that a few persons supplying meat suspected to be beef were stopped and beaten up by villagers on Saturday under the Harduaganj police station limits.

“The local police and I immediately reached the spot,” the newspaper quoted him as having said. “People who were beaten up by the public were taken to safety and admitted to the hospital for medical treatment. They are out of danger.”

The four injured men were identified as 35-year-old Akeel, 32-year-old Nadeem, 43-year-old Akil and 38-year-old Arbaaj, The Indian Express quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.

Two first information reports were filed after the assault, The Hindu reported.

The first was filed at the Harduaganj police station on Saturday against 38 persons based on the complaint of Salim Khan, Akeel’s father, The Indian Express reported. While 13 names were mentioned in the FIR, 25 unnamed persons were booked.

The case was filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly, unlawful assembly to commit an offence, attempt to murder, extortion, robbery and joint criminal liability, an unidentified officer told The Indian Express.

The second FIR was filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against unidentified persons based on the complaint of a man named Vijay Bajrangi, according to the newspaper.

“We have filed two FIRs, one on the basis of the complaint received from the villagers about illegal cow slaughtering and transportation of the meat, and the other FIR is registered based on the petition of the father of one of the injured against some named and other unidentified individuals at Harduaganj police station,” Jain told The Hindu.

In his complaint, Salim Khan alleged that “Ram Kumar Arya and Arjun, as part of a conspiracy, sent Chetan Lodhi, Shivam Hindu Lodhi, Lavkush, Anuj Bhura, Vijay, Girish Kumar and Ankit of Mahmudpur, Rana of Alhadadpur and Vijay Kumar Gupta to extort ‘Chauth’ [protection money] from them [the four persons who were assaulted]” the moment their vehicle reached Panaithi road.

“They pulled the four out of the vehicle and demanded Rs 50,000,” The Indian Express quoted Salim Khan as having said. “When the four refused to pay the money, they were brutally beaten up with wooden and iron rods and were also robbed of their phones and money.”

The complaint also claimed that the meat that was being transported in the vehicle was brought from a meat factory.

However, Bajrangi, in his complaint, alleged that he had followed the vehicle near Ahladadpur village after receiving a tip-off.

“When I tried to stop the vehicle, the driver tried to run over me,” The Indian Express quoted his complaint as having said. “Seeing this, labourers and farmers working in the nearby fields ran to the spot and the four men in the vehicle attacked them.”

He claimed that he saw “seven decapitated cows” when he checked their vehicle.

“When the four were caught and questioned, they said they were smuggling cow meat by paying a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to police,” he alleged. “We had informed the Harduagnaj police station nearly 15 days ago about the same vehicle carrying cow meat.”

Dheeraj Kumar, Harduganj Station House Officer, told The Indian Express that the police were investigating Bajrangi’s allegations. “He has denied connection with the Bajrang Dal or any right-wing Hindu organisations,” Kumar added.