Chatra: Police arrested two men within hours after three severed heads of an animal were found dumped in Baksa dam in Chatra district on Sunday, triggering protests and a road blockade by villagers.The accused were identified as Mohammad Islam and Mohammad Ikram, both aged around 25 years, and residents of Prithvipur village.During searches at the residence of one of the accused, police found a large quantity of prohibited meat in a refrigerator. The refrigerator and meat were seized and brought to the police station, officers said.Police said the accused admitted that a prohibited animal was slaughtered during a festival. Investigators said the men feared that information about the slaughter had spread in the village and that legal action could follow, after which they allegedly dumped the severed heads in the dam to destroy evidence.After locals noticed the severed heads floating in the dam, hundreds gathered and blocked the Itkhori-Chatra main road near Nagwan, disrupting vehicular movement for nearly an hour.Chatra DSP (headquarters) Sunil Kumar Singh reached the spot with a large police contingent and assured protesters of an impartial investigation and strict legal action.Itkhori police station officer in-charge Abhishek Kumar Singh said further investigation is underway and “appropriate legal action” is being taken.Cow slaughter is banned in the state under the Jharkhand Bovine Animal Prohibition of Slaughter Act, 2005.