Authorities have slapped the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against three men accused of killing a cow at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.

The trio, identified as Shakeel, Nadeem, and Azam, were sent to jail by a local court on Monday.

"Acting on a tip-off that a few persons were allegedly involved in the illegal act of slaughtering a cow, police raided a place at Kharkali village near here last Friday and seized a large knife and beef from the spot," Moghat police station in-charge, Mohan Singore said.

However, the accused fled from the spot during the police action, he said.

But police arrested them on Saturday from their different hideouts in Khandwa city and district collector, Vishesh Garhpale, slapped the provisions of the NSA against them, Singore said.

"On Monday, they were produced before a local court, which sent them to jail under the NSA and other relevant sections of the IPC," he added.

According to police, Nadeem was earlier also involved in the slaughtering of cows and was wanted in the case.