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The bizarre punishment was handed out by a vigilante gang of Hindu fundamentalists. The gang wanted to discipline the two men for profiting off beef, as cows are considered holy within the Hindu religion. The self-styled cow protection group, known as Gau Rakshak Dal, seized the two men and carried out the cruel "purification". They caught the pair transporting 700 kilogrammes of beef on a road near the city of Faridabad in northern India’s State of Haryana.

CEN The bizarre humiliation was handed out as punishment by Hindu fundamentalists

Haryana has been known for enforcing strict punishments around the consumption and transportation of beef. In the state, transport of beef can be punished by up to ten years in prison and a £1,100 fine. The extreme vigilante gang forced the two Muslim men to eat panchagavya – a mixture of cow dung, urine, milk and curd – in order to "purify them".

Footage of the punishment shows the pair sitting on the road while being forced to eat panchagavya with the help of some water. The men also appear to have also been physically attacked, as their injured faces show severe bruising. In the minute-long video, the duo struggle to hold down the stomach-wrenching concoction and towards the end they both vomit onto the ground.

CEN The gang wanted to teach the two men a lesson for profiting off beef

We made them eat the panchagavya to teach them a lesson, and also to purify them Dharmendra Yadav, president of the Gau Rakshak Dal

Dharmendra Yadav, president of the volunteer gang told the Indian Express: "When we caught them, they had 700 kilogrammes of beef in their car. "We made them eat the panchagavya to teach them a lesson, and also to purify them." The activists then turned the pair over to the Faridabad police, who have since arrested them under the local Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act. The local police chief, Anil Kumar, confirmed the incident took place on June 10 and the two are currently in custody pending charges.

CEN Despite a ban on cow slaughter, India was last year's top beef exporter