Lucknow, Dec 21 (IANS): Two separate police encounters in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur and Mathura resulted in the arrest of cow smugglers, including one wanted criminal with a reward on his head.

In Jaunpur, the Machhli Shahr and Sujanganj police conducted a joint operation late on Friday night to apprehend the cow smugglers.

In the wee hours of Saturday, an encounter occurred in which one smuggler was shot in the leg and captured while his accomplice managed to flee.

CO Vivek Kumar stated that the police had been conducting checks when two individuals on a bike tried to evade them.

"A chase ensued, and the suspects were cornered. They opened fire on the police, prompting a retaliatory response that injured one of the suspects. The injured smuggler was apprehended and taken to a government hospital for treatment. Police recovered a bike, a pistol, and live cartridges from the scene," he mentioned.

Meanwhile, in Mathura, police apprehended a wanted cow smuggler, Tariq, during an encounter in the Dhaurera forest area under the Jait police station on Friday night.

Tariq, a resident of Deeg in Rajasthan, had been absconding since 2021 and carried a bounty of Rs 25,000. He was accused of killing cows, an act that had sparked protests by cow protection groups demanding his arrest.

During the Mathura operation, Tariq was shot in the leg and apprehended. A police constable was also injured in the exchange of fire and is currently receiving medical treatment along with Tariq.

CO Sandeep Singh confirmed that police recovered a pistol, cartridges, and a bike from Tariq. He emphasised that the arrest was a significant development as Tariq had been evading authorities for several years.

All injured individuals, including the suspect in Jaunpur, are undergoing treatment, and further investigations are underway in both cases.