Lucknow, Aug 27 - Her life for a goat - that's how it was for a 45-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh who went to meet relatives carrying the animal under her arm but was lynched after locals thought she had stolen it.

Vimla Devi was killed Wednesday in Rudrapur town in Deoria district, about 300 km from here. According to police, Vimla Devi was accosted by locals who asked her where she had got the goat from. She couldn't give a coherent answer and tried to run away, but was caught by the locals who beat her to death.

'Following our investigations into the case, we have registered a murder case against three locals,' Deputy Superintendent of Police R.P. Gupta told IANS over phone.

A hunt is on for the three men who are absconding.