Two cattle smugglers injured in police encounter in Meerut; six arrested

Meerut (UP): Two suspected cattle smugglers were injured in an exchange of fire with the police in Meerut's Nauchandi area, police said on Friday.

Besides the two suspected cattle smugglers, four of their accomplices were also arrested following the police operation on Thursday night, they said.

Providing details of the incident , a district police spokesperson said, "During a joint operation by the Nauchandi police and the SWAT team, two suspected cattle smugglers sustained bullet injuries in the leg. A total of six accused have been arrested."

The police recovered three country-made pistols, three empty cartridges, four live cartridges, tools used for slaughtering, and a cow from the suspects, the spokesperson added.

According to officials, the encounter was linked to a case registered on February 1 after carcass of a cow was found near the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) office. Sub-Inspector Mahesh Kumar had filed an FIR under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act at the Nauchandi police station against unidentified persons.

Inspector Ilam Singh said, "Late at night, the police team reached Nauchandi ground and found some individuals tying a cow with a rope, seemingly preparing to slaughter it. When the police intervened to stop them, the suspects, fearing arrest, opened fire on the police team."

"In retaliatory firing by the police, two accused, identified as Salim Atta and Shahbaz Qureshi, were injured in the right leg," the official said.

The other four suspects -- Sajid alias Hakla, Najju, Riazuddin, and Sharif -- attempted to flee but were apprehended after a chase, the police said. The injured suspects were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.