Three cattle smugglers arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur

Shahjahanpur: Three suspected cattle smugglers were arrested after an encounter with police in which a constable and two of the accused were injured in the Katra area of this Uttar Pradesh district, officials said on Monday.

The police received information about cattle slaughter on the Kamalapur canal bridge late on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena told PTI.

When the police reached the spot, the smugglers opened fire at them and injured constable Tarun Sirohi (24), he added.

Two cattle smugglers -- Mohammad Zafar Qureshi (40) and Rahim (53) -- were injured in retaliatory firing by the police. Another suspected smuggler, Asif, was caught while trying to escape, the official said.

The police recovered an animal, slaughtering equipment and a knife from the spot.

Meena said the three accused were arrested, and Qureshi and Rahim were undergoing treatment in the district medical college.

A police team has been formed to nab the other absconding smugglers, he added.