Police in a village in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday claimed that a mob had attacked them and damaged their vehicle when they had tried to arrest three people for cow slaughter on Tuesday night. Four policemen were injured after the mob pelted stones at them in Khala Par neighbourbood, PTI reported.

Circle Officer Tejbir Singh said the mob had freed the trio the police had been trying to arrest after they were informed about them slaughtering cows in Talhedi Bujurg village.

Superintendent of Police (City) Ombir Singh told The Times of India that they had received a tip-off about the cow slaughter. “A police team raided a house in the village and confirmed the development. We recovered animal carcasses, 15 kg meat and equipment used for slaughter.”

The Kotwali Police have registered a case against 47 people, officials told PTI. “The meat recovered from the house has been sent for a forensic test to ascertain whether cows were slaughtered there,” the superintendent of police said. “So far, no arrests have been made.”

Security has been heightened in the area and additional officers have been deployed to prevent any further violence.