A 43-year-old father of four was thrashed to death in Kanpur on Monday afternoon for trying to drive out a cow that had entered his home by beating it with a stick.

A witness said Raman Kumar alias Kallu, a labourer from Darbhanga in Bihar, was trying to chase out the cow that had entered his rented house. Ayush Yadav alias Bauwa, the owner of the cow, saw this and attacked Kallu.

Deepak Bhuker, additional superintendent of police of Kanpur, said: “The accused allegedly beat to death the victim with a lathi. We have registered a case on the basis of the complaint of a family member of Kallu. The attacker, who has a cowshed in the area, is absconding and would be arrested soon.”

Kallu’s wife Maya, who works as a maid, said she took her husband to a local nursing home with the help of her neighbours. “He was referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital where he was declared brought dead,” she said.

Kallu and Maya Devi have three daughters and a son.