On patrol with India's cow protection vigilantes

The cow, venerated by India's majority Hindu people, has become India's most polarising animal.

Cow protection vigilantes are thriving thanks to a rising hysteria and sporadic violence over slaughter of cows and consumption of beef.

The ruling BJP government has tightened laws on both since coming to power last year.

The BBC accompanied a vigilante patrol looking to catch cow "smugglers" in the northern state of Rajasthan.

The group was led by Nawal Kishore Sharma, who is also a member of a radical Hindu organisation.

Video by Shib Shankar Chatterjee