Cow smuggler breaks barricade, chased and held after gunfight in Nuh

Gurgaon: An alleged cattle smuggler suffered a bullet injury during an encounter with police in Nuh early Tuesday after a pick-up vehicle carrying seven cattle heads allegedly broke through a police blockade on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.The accused, Jamshed, is a resident of Bhoot Ka Bas village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. He was admitted to Shaheed Hasan Khan Medical College in Nuh. Police said the operation was carried out jointly by the CIA units of Nuh and Tauru and the Firozpur Jhirka Sadar police.According to police, a team led by the CIA Nuh in-charge, SI Mahendra Singh, set up a checkpoint near Basai Meo village on the expressway around 5am after receiving information about suspected cow smuggling. Police said they were informed that a pick-up vehicle carrying cattle was heading towards Rajasthan and was being escorted by another vehicle.Soon after, police spotted a car followed by the pick-up vehicle approaching from the wrong side of the expressway. When signalled to stop, the drivers allegedly breached the barricade and sped away. The police teams gave chase, but the escort vehicle managed to escape.Police alleged that the occupants of the pick-up vehicle had opened fire while attempting to evade arrest. “The police team retaliated in self-defence and continued pursuing the vehicle,” an officer said.The smugglers ran out of luck near Arya Samaj Mandir in Basai Meo village when the pick-up vehicle collided with a parked truck. Police said the suspects attempted to abandon the vehicle and flee while continuing to fire. During the exchange, one of the men suffered a bullet injury in the leg and was apprehended. The remaining suspects escaped through nearby residential areas under the cover of darkness.A search of the vehicle led to the rescue of seven cattle heads. Police also seized a country-made pistol and an empty cartridge case from the spot.Additional SP YVR Shashi Shekhar said, “The identities of the absconding accused had been established and efforts are underway to trace them.”A case has been registered at Firozpur Jhirka Sadar police station under provisions of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, Arms Act and relevant sections of BNS.