Indian police said Saturday a Muslim man has been beaten to death by a mob in the country’s west over allegations of smuggling cows despite calls by the countrys highest court for immediate steps to stop such deadly violence. Police said the mob intercepted two men carrying two cows around midnight in a forested area in Alwar district of Rajasthan state and began punching and beating them with sticks. One managed to escape while the other was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Cows are considered sacred in the Hindu-majority country, where attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims, are rising.