Pune, March 8 -- An 18-year-old Muslim youth has alleged that he was assaulted and forced to eat cow dung by a group of self-proclaimed cow vigilantes in Pune earlier this week.

According to the victim, the incident occurred while he was working as a helper on a truck transporting buffalo from Karad in Maharashtra, around 120 km from Pune, to Mumbai.

He claimed that despite carrying all legal documents related to the transport of cattle, a group of people intercepted the truck in Pune near Khed Shivapur and accused them of illegal cattle transportation.

He alleged that members of the group, led by a transgender individual, along with another person, assaulted him, verbally abused him and allegedly forced him to eat cow dung while also ...