The family of Affan Abdul Majid Ansari, 32—lynched by cow vigilantes in Nashik on Saturday evening—is mourning the death of their sole breadwinner. Affan is survived by his wife and two daughters. The distraught family is questioning if there is a law in the country which states that someone suspected of a crime can be stopped on the road and beaten to death. Nasir Hussain Gulam Hussain Qureshi, 24, who was with Affan, is recuperating in hospital.

On June 24, when Nasir Hussain Gulam Hussain Qureshi and Affan Abdul Majid Ansari were returning from Nashik to Mumbai in a Maruti Swift car, employees at a toll plaza on Dhamangaon-Sinnar Ghoti Road noticed meat inside the car. They immediately called someone and the car was stopped by a group of 10-15 people on the road ahead.