50-year-old man lynched in India over alleged beef consumption

A 50-year-old man was killed by an angry mob in northern India, allegedly over rumours that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home, the BBC reports.

Mohammad Akhlaq was kicked and beaten with stones by a group of men in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh state on Monday night, and Akhlaq's 22-year-old son was also seriously injured in the attack, and has been admitted to a hospital.

Reports say that six people have been arrested in connection with the incident and police are investigating who spread the rumour.

Slaughter of cows is a delicate issue in India given that the animal is considered sacred by Hindus, who comprise 80% of the country's 1.2bn people.

Uttar Pradesh is among a number of Indian states that have tightened laws banning cow slaughter and the sale and consumption of beef. The ban has also provoked outrage with many questioning how the government decides what is on their plate.

Akhlaq's family said the family had stored mutton, and not beef in their fridge and the police have taken the meat and sent it for testing, the BBC adds.

The incident happened in a village, barely 50km away from the Indian capital, Delhi, where Akhlaq, a farm worker, lived with his family.

Eleven states - including Uttar Pradesh - and two union territories (federally-administered regions) in India ban slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks.