Crime-Villagers torch tempo suspecting cattle smuggling in Maharashtra

An irate mob of villagers set on fire a tempo suspecting that it was smuggling cattle in Thane district of Maharashtra, police said Wednesday. The incident took place at Dahigaon near Shahapur.

Villagers stopped a tempo carrying cattle on suspicion that the animals were being smuggled and taken to a slaughterhouse near Baghecha Pada about 9 pm Tuesday night, police said. They took down half a dozen animals and set the empty tempo on fire.

The driver was handed over to Khardi police. Senior Inspector Ghansham Aadhav of Shahapur police station said police registered separate cases -- one for alleged illegal transportation of cattle and another against the villagers for torching the tempo under relevant IPC sections.

Nobody has been arrested yet, inspector Aadhav said.