Goa-based social activist Rama Kankonkar was assaulted by an armed group of people at Caranzalem near Panaji on Thursday, police said.
Kankonkar said the assailants punched and thrashed him, smeared cow dung on his face, and flung him onto the road when he was near a children's park.
He alleged the gang, armed with a knife and a gun, threatened him, saying, "Do you wish to be the protector of Goa? Let us show you." The activist claimed one of the attackers had targeted him in the past as well.
However, the motive behind the assault on Kankonkar, who often raised environmental issues in the coastal state, was not immediately known.
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North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta said a probe was launched into the attack under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Panaji, and efforts were on to nab the culprits.
"The attackers, about six in number and carrying wires and knives, fled on two-wheelers after the incident," he said.
Police have launched a manhunt to nab the accused, added Gupta.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant strongly condemned the attack on the activist and asserted such incidents will not be tolerated in the state.
"All the culprits involved in the attack would be arrested soon and punished," Sawant told reporters outside his official residence in Panaji.
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