Gurugram, Feb 21 (IANS): Four cattle smugglers were nabbed in the Manesar area of Gurugram after a gunfight with cow vigilantes on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. A cow which was being taken to Rajasthan was rescued, the police said.

The four accused were identified as Nishar and Rafiq, residents of Khod Basai village while Zakir and Irshad of Badwa and Sundh villages, respectively, of Nuh district, Haryana.

A cow, tied with ropes in their pickup jeep, was also rescued. The police have recovered one illegal weapon and 2 empty bullet cells from their possession.

Complainant Mohit, a member of cow vigilante group, told the police that the accused had fired indiscriminately at their vehicle when they tried to stop them.

"The cow smugglers started firing when we signalled them to stop. A bullet hit our vehicle. Eventually a tyre of the accused vehicle burst after hitting a rock which forced them to stop. We overpowered and handed them over to the police," the complainant said.

"We have nabbed all the four and also recovered an illegal weapon from them which was used in the incident," Subhash Boken, spokesperson of the Gurugram police said.

An FIR has been registered against the accused persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections of the Haryana Gauvans Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 at IMT Manesar police station.