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However, the cow protectors were unaware of the fact that the 36-year-old Katol resident was affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
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Salim Ismail Shah was hospitalised after the beating and police arrested four men for the assault near the area he was beaten up. However, Shah claims to be the general secretary of BJP’s Katol taluka minority cell.
Reports suggest that the incident occurred while the victim was returning from Amner village in Amravati district to Katol by two-wheeler after purchasing meat for a function. Somewhere along the way, cow protection activists got hold of Shah and began beating him up for allegedly transporting beef.
Shah said he kept trying to convince his attackers that the meat in his possession was mutton and not beef, but they wouldn’t listen to him, reported Hindustan Times.
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The 36-year-old received no assistance from passersby, although a few did take videos and pictures of the incident on their cellphone cameras. Finally one of the accused threw Shah’s vehicle at him – knocking him out.
A police team soon rushed to the spot and admitted Shah to a local medical centre. He was later shifted to the Katol civil hospital, where doctors declared him out of danger.
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