Keonjhar: Three persons including two cops sustained critical injuries during a shootout with cattle smugglers in the wee hours of Sunday. The shootout took place during police raids at Pithagola and Kadua areas under Harichandanpur police limits in Keonjhar district. Cattle smuggler Arif Khan of Santarapur village under Ghatagaon police limits sustained critical injuries after police fired in self-defence. Cops have arrested five persons in this connection.
The accused were identified as Arif, Sk Hakim of Santarapur village, Sonu Mohammed of Janghira village, Deepak Kalindi and Debu Kalindi of Bakola village under Jashippur police limits in neighbouring Mayurbhanj district. All the five accused were produced in court Sunday and remanded to judicial custody after the magistrate rejected their bail pleas. Over 25 cattle were rescued and three pick-up vans, one jeep, two country-made revolvers and several sharp-edged weapons were seized from the possession of the smugglers. Two separate cases have been registered at Harichandanpur and Pandapada police stations in this connection, ASP Dillip Kumar Nayak said at a presser held at the Keonjhar Town police station.
Sources said the police were tipped off that 25 cattle were being smuggled outside the state from Kaliahata area under Telkoi police limits. On being informed, two teams from Harichandanpur police station and a special squad raided the Pithagola and Kadua areas to rescue the cattle and nab the smugglers. The cattle smugglers opened fire on the police when they noticed the cops. In retaliation, police also opened fire. In the process Arif was shot twice on both his legs. Currently, he is undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.