Elderly Muslim man attacked, his beard cut in UP's Ghaziabad

So far, three accused have been arrested, Ghaziabad Police said.

The incident happened in in Loni in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. The victim - Abdul Samad - was going to a mosque for prayers when he was offered lift in an auto rickshaw, said an NDTV report.

Two more men also entered the vehicle and he was taken away a to a hut in a nearby forest, the victim said.

According to the report, one of the attackers, a young man in white full sleeve t-shirt and blue sweat pants threatened Samad with a knife which he also used to chop off his beard.

The victim said that the two men showed him a video of other other Muslims being attacked, the report added.

They also boasted to him that they had killed many Muslims before.

The attackers then beat him up with sticks and locked him in a room.

Police have arrested one Pravesh Gujjar, believed to be the main accused, and registered a case.

Atul Kumar Sonkar, a senior police officer from Loni, said  necessary steps were being taken.

An hour ago, police said in a tweet that two more persons - Kallu and Adil - have been arrested in conncetion with the case. Police are looking for the rest of the accused.

UPDATE TO THE NEWS:

According to fresh media reports, the Ghaziabad police ruled out the communal angle to the case and claimed it was one of “personal enmity” over an amulet the victim sold. Some reports claimed the assailants were both Hindus and Muslims.

Ghaziabad Superintendent of Police (Rural) Iraj Raja has been quoted by The Print saying: “There wasn’t any instance of chanting Jai Shri Ram, it is completely incorrect. He didn’t even mention it while filing the complaint.”