Villagers near Dhupguri town in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district allegedly lynched two persons suspected of being cow thieves early on Sunday. One of the victims was from the state’s Coochbehar district, and the other was from Assam. “The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination, and we have started an investigation,” a senior police officer from Jalpaiguri told The Indian Express.

The police said the incident took place around 3 am in Dadon 2 village, about 15 km from Dhupguri. The van driver who escaped the attack told the police that they had lost their way and had been going around in circles when they were attacked, reported the Hindustan Times.

“That probably alerted local villagers, who first tried to stop the van,” a police officer said. “When the driver tried to dodge them and speed away, the villagers blocked the way and forced them to stop. Though the driver somehow managed to escape, the two victims could not and were ultimately lynched by the angry villagers.”

Once informed, the police took the victims to a hospital, but they were declared brought dead.

The police said it was unclear whether the men were cow smugglers. “We are also investigating whether this lynching happened because of the villagers’ spontaneous rage or was conducted by any organised group under the garb of public rage,” an officer said.