Ballia (UP), Nov 13 (PTI) A cattle smuggler from Azamgarh district was arrested after being injured in an encounter with police in Ballia, officials said on Thursday.
The accused was allegedly involved in smuggling cattle from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar. During the encounter near Narsinghpur Math canal, he sustained a bullet injury in his left leg and is currently undergoing treatment at the Ballia District Hospital.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kripa Shankar said the incident took place around 11.15 pm on Wednesday when a police team from Narhi station reached the Narsinghpur Math canal area after receiving a tip-off about cattle smugglers’ movement.
“When the accused found himself surrounded, he opened fire on the police team with intent to kill. In retaliatory firing carried out in self-defence, the police managed to overpower and arrest him,” ASP Shankar said.
The injured smuggler was identified as 26-year-old Ajay alias ‘Pattharkatta’ (Silpkar), a resident of Kothwa Jalalpur village in Azamgarh district.
During interrogation, Ajay allegedly confessed that on November 12, he had loaded 24 cattle into a truck for illegal transport to Bihar but managed to escape during a police checking drive near Kutubpur Ujiyar.
Police recovered a country-made pistol and live cartridges from his possession.
ASP Shankar said further legal action is being taken against the accused and efforts are on to trace other members of the smuggling network. PTI COR KIS DV DV
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