Pune, Nov 19 (IANS): The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday booked two absconding persons in connection with the brutal killing of an aged and sick bull by a JCB last month, an official said here.

Bhigwan police station's Inspector Riyaz Shaikh said that the accused have been identified as Rohit Shivaji Atole and Bhausaheb Anna Khartode, but they are currently missing from the village. The police have launched a manhunt for them in Pune district.

"We have taken cognizance of the incident after getting several complaints following a social media video which went viral. According to our preliminary investigations, the incident took place on October 27 in Pondwadi village of Indapur taluka in the district," Shaikh told IANS.

In the shocking video, the JCB driver, said to be Rohit Shivaji Atole, was allegedly seen hitting, pushing, crushing and finally killing an aged and sick bull at an unknown location, probably a farmland, with the help of Bhausaheb Anna Khartode.

The bull tried to escape and bellowed loudly in pain, but the driver repeatedly drove the JCB, cornered and trapped it, while continuously hammering the animal with the shovel in the front and the digging arm at the rear of the JCB.

After several powerful hits of the shovel on the bull's back, head and body, the bull could not resist and finally succumbed, while Khartode shot a video of the entire gory operation.

Shaikh said that the police will now try to track the JCB used in the killing and after the duo is nabbed, further investigations will be taken up. The whereabouts of the bull's carcass is not known.

According to local villagers, the farmers could not afford to keep the aged bull and allegedly decided to kill it in a brutal manner.

Stunned by the incident, animal lovers, politicians and local activists demanded strict action against the culprits and asked the government to take measures for the welfare of old, sick or abandoned farm animals.