A mob of 'cow protection' activists brutally assaulted cattle smugglers in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh on Tuesday, pictures of which are being shared by angry users on social media.

Viral images show a group five-six men assaulting a man stripped naked and lying on the ground. At one point, the men can also be seen with their feet on the victim's head.

Three other smugglers were also assaulted. Pratapgarh Police have arrested seven persons for smuggling calves and one person for carrying out the assault.

According to police, an angry mob thrashed the smugglers after four dead cows were recovered from their trucks. The crowd was also angry as one of the trucks did not stop when approached by the police and its driver - the man who was thrashed - tried to scare away the mob by driving close to them.

BRUTALITY SHARED ONLINE

A Facebook page named "Gau Raksha Dal" shared an image from the assault at around 6:30 pm on Thursday, saying the police caught the smugglers with two trucks stuffed with cows.

The page is full of posts and pictures of cows being released from trucks, violence against smugglers and other activities of 'cow protection activists'.

COMMANDO FORCE?

Meanwhile on Twitter, user @brumbyOz tracked down one such activist Tigar Rajusingh Rajpurohit who had shared original images of the assault. "When time comes we will burn them (smugglers) alive," he wrote with them.

The post is not publicly visible on his timeline anymore, but Rajpurohit's profile claims he works at the 'Gau Raksha Commando Force' and also with the BJP. His display picture is that of an ID card apparently issued by the said 'commando force'.

MODUS OPERANDI

India Today got in touch with the activist to understand how these 'commando forces' work.

Rajpurohit, whose cow protection group functions in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, claims he received the pictures from a fellow activist over the organisation's Whatsapp group. His faction is headed by his 'guruji' whom he only referred to as 'pradhan ji'. He said the group was not connected to the Bharitya Janata Party at all.

ORGANISED AND INFORMED

He claims the first 'cow protection force' was set up six to seven years ago in Haryana. Anyone interested in joining a group needs to fill a form and provide an ID proof.

He declined to share the activist's identity or details of the faction he belongs to. According to Rajpurohit, there 15 to 20 such WhatsApp groups. Hundreds of 'cow protectors' participate in the group and share daily details of their activities.

Rajpurohit says these activists receive tip-offs from all over the country on these groups and sometimes even over the phone. Informers include fellow activists, villagers and even mediapersons, among others. Men nearest to the area then gather men and police and round-up the suspected vehicle.

When asked if such violence was justified, Rajpurohit said "gau hatyaaron ke saath yahi karna chahiye (cow killers deserve this)."

POLICE PROTECTION?

Rajpurohit claims that his faction of 'cow protectors' urge activists to round up smugglers only while being accompanied by the police. And are they allowed to beat up smugglers? "Agar unki (police) aagya hogi, warna nahi (if police allows, otherwise no)," he says.

When asked again if his group was involved in the particular case, Rajpurohit proudly claims "agar hamare sangathan ne maara hoga toh likha hoga (if our faction had beaten him, we would have mentioned it beneath the photos)."

(With inputs from Rohit Parihar in Rajasthan)