Lucknow, May 18
A police encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district turned deadly as one cow smuggler was killed and two others sustained injuries late Saturday night, officials confirmed. The confrontation began after the accused allegedly tried to run over police personnel during a vehicle check, leading to the death of a head constable.
Police Head Constable Killed in the Line of Duty
The incident began during a routine checking drive at Khujji turn, where cow smugglers, in an attempt to evade the police, hit Head Constable Durgesh Kumar Singh, 34, with their pick-up vehicle. Singh sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the trauma centre in Varanasi, where he later died during treatment.Earlier in the week, on the night of May 14 and 15, another police officer, Parauganj police outpost in-charge Pratima Singh, was seriously injured when cow smugglers similarly attempted to run over police at Jalalpur station. She is currently receiving treatment at the trauma centre in Varanasi.
DGP Orders Statewide Crackdown
Following these attacks, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar directed a district-wide crackdown on cow smuggling activities. As part of this operation, Inspector Satya Prakash Singh and his team from Chandwak police station were deployed to check vehicles on the Azamgarh-Varanasi road on the night of May 17.Around 11:50 pm, the police intercepted a pick-up vehicle heading toward Varanasi from Azamgarh. Upon being stopped, the smugglers attempted to flee by again trying to mow down police personnel, injuring Head Constable Singh fatally.
One Smuggler Killed, Two Arrested After Chase and Gunfight
After the incident, a coordinated pursuit involving local police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) led to the smugglers abandoning their vehicle in Tala Bela village, Varanasi. They continued their escape on two motorcycles toward Jaunpur.In Chandwak area, a gunfight ensued when the smugglers opened fire on the police. In retaliation, one of the accused, identified as Salman (24) of Jaunpur, was shot in the chest and died during treatment. Two others, Golu from Chandauli and Narendra Yadav from Varanasi, suffered bullet injuries to their legs and were arrested.
Manhunt Underway for Three Fugitives
Three accused — Rahul Yadav, Raju Yadav, and Azad Yadav — managed to escape during the chase. Police have launched a manhunt to trace and arrest the absconding suspects.The incident has once again spotlighted the dangers law enforcement officers face while tackling cow smuggling in Uttar Pradesh.