Bhubaneswar: A mob beat a 35-year-old Dalit man to death and left his aide injured on suspicion of killing a cow in Deogarh district, police said on Thursday. Six persons were arrested in connection with the incident, which took place at Kundeijuri village under Riamal police station area on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Kishore Chamar, and his injured associate was Goutam Nayak, residents of neighbouring Kaunsidhipa village and cattle skinners who remove the hide from a slaughtered animal. A group of people found them chopping the meat of a cow in a forest near their village. The severed head of a cow was also lying there, police said. Though the victim explained that they were chopping the beef after the death of his cow, he was accused of killing it, police said.

“The two were beaten up by the group, and Chamar died on the spot. Though Nayak was injured, he managed to escape,” Deogarh SP Anil Kumar Mishra said. “We have arrested six persons in this connection,” Mishra said.