Bareilly: Two alleged cow slaughterers were arrested following a late-night police encounter in the forest area of Singhai Kayesthan village under the Bhojipura police station limits in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on February 14.
According to police reports, the station in charge of Bhojipura was patrolling with his team when he received information that a group of cattle smugglers was planning to slaughter cows in the forest. Acting on the tip-off, the police team reached the spot around 2:10 am. On seeing the police, the accused allegedly opened fire, during which Constable Rinku sustained a bullet injury to his arm.
Police retaliated, injuring Raju Qureshi, son of Ali Jan Qureshi, in the leg. He was apprehended on the spot along with Imran Qureshi and Ikram, son of Chhotan. Five other accused, Shakeel, Zahid alias Anda, Javed, Zeeshan and Nadeem, managed to flee under the cover of darkness. A search operation is underway to trace them.
Police said a large quantity of cow slaughtering equipment and illegal weapons were recovered from the scene. The injured accused was admitted to a Community Health Centre for treatment. Officials added that the arrested individuals are part of a gang allegedly involved in cattle theft and illegal slaughter. A case has been registered under the Cow Slaughter Prevention Act at Bhojipura police station. Raju Qureshi alone is reported to have 18 criminal cases pending against him. During questioning, Imran reportedly told police that the gang used to capture stray cattle at night, slaughter them, and sell the meat.
