Two Dalits were attacked by eight persons on the suspicion that they had stolen a cow early on Tuesday. The two men were rushed to hospital and the condition of one of them was said to be serious.

According to L. Ankaiah, Dy.SP, a timber depot owner B. Aravindam had asked the two men — Mokati Elisha (56) and Mokati Venkateswara Rao (53) alias Lazarus of Sudapalem village of Uppalaguptam mandal — to take away his cow which had died of electric shock on Monday night as the duo were engaged in tanning business.

They started skinning it on Tuesday when the eight persons tied them to a tree and started beating them with sticks and iron rods accusing them of stealing the cow. An auto driver, Savaram Lavan Kumar, who came to their rescue was also beaten up. Later, the auto driver informed the police about the incident. The Dy.SP said that cases were booked against the eightunder the SC/ST Act and also for wrongful confinement of Dalits.

According to information, the attack followed a complaint lodged with the police by some persons that their cows were being stolen over the past one month.

After the news of the incident spread, CPI(M) leaders condemned it and met the victims at the hospital.

Kakinada Staff Reporter adds:

Activists of the Left parties and Dalit organisations staged a dharna at the District Collectorate in Kakinada in the evening and alleged that the BJP and the RSS were responsible for the attack. The police, however, said the incident was in no way connected to politics and caste bias.