India, June 24 -- The Odisha police arrested eight people on Tuesday in connection with the brutal attack on two Dalit men, accusing them of cattle smuggling, two days ago.

The two Dalit men were allegedly tonsured, assaulted and forced to crawl on their knees and consume grass and drain water.

Police officials in Ganjam said they have identified all the people responsible for the assault of two Dalit men, 59-year-old Babula Nayak, and his cousin brother Bulu Nayak, 54, at the hands of a mob in Jahada of Kharigumma village under Dharakote police station limits on Sunday.

"While the main accused Raja Samal is still evading arrest, we have managed to arrest eight persons who assaulted the Dalit men pretending to be cow vigilantes, made t...