The postmortem revealed the cows have been killed during the last 72 hours, said chief veterinary doctor Karan Singh. Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) has been deployed in the villages to check any untoward incident.

According to reports, villagers witnessed dead cows lying near the nullah. Soon, hundreds of locals from Bharamau, Bhimsen, Hafizpur, Shankarpur and other villagers gathered at the spot.

Senior officials, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mani Lal and Rasoolabad Station Officer Shiv Prasad, also rushed to the spot.

Man Singh, a villager, said: “One injured cow was spotted in the village on February 28. But we didn’t take the matter seriously. Now, we think some kind of gang is responsible for this.”

Another villager, Ram Babu, alleged that members of Ghumantu tribe have been camping on the outskirts of Rasoolabad, but since the incident, they are nowhere to be found. “Therefore, their involvement in the incident cannot be ruled out,” he added. Villagers further alleged that the police were not taking the issue seriously.

Dr Karan Singh further said the viscera of animals have been preserved and would be sent to the veterinary college in Mathura for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Forest department officials arrested five persons with 25 animal skins in Ikdil area of Etawah district.