Faridabad: Three people have been arrested today in connection with the attack here on an auto-rickshaw driver and his friends by a group of cow vigilantes over suspicion that they were carrying beef, police said.  

Those arrested have been identified as locals Lakhan, Dileep, Ram Kumar, a police official said, adding they were being questioned at the Assistant Commissioner of Police's office in Mujesar.   ACP (Mujesar) Radhshyam said the arrested trio was being quizzed and others involved in the case will be held soon.  

On October 13 morning, the auto-rickshaw driver Azad along with his four friends was on their way from Fatehpur Billauch to Old Faridabad when 15-20 men intercepted their vehicle near Bajri village, the police said.   According to Azad, the group thrashed them and then called up the police. They handed Azad over to the police alleging that he was a cow-smuggler, a police official said.  

The official said that based on the complaint of the group, initially a case was registered against the auto- rickshaw driver under the laws related to cow slaughter.   However, it emerged during the initial probe that it was buffalo meat that Azad and his friends were transporting.  

"In the initial investigation, it was found that it was buffalo meat and not beef that was being transported. Therefore, a case under relevant sections was registered on the complaint of Azad. Further action will be taken after probing the matter," SHO, Mujesar police station, Vinod Singh, had said yesterday.  

The meat has been sent to a forensic lab for further tests, he had said.   Earlier one Bittu Bajrangi, who identified himself as the chief of the 'Gorakhsha Bajrang Force', told the police that members of his group had suspected beef being carried in the auto-rickshaw.   According to Bittu, soon a crowd gathered at the spot which thrashed the five men, the SHO said. PTI