JAIPUR: A 24-year-old Bajrang Dal activist was shot at as he and some others chased a group of alleged cattle smugglers in Rajasthan’s Dholpur late Wednesday night.
Lucky Parmar, hit in the right leg, was taken to the district hospital after the skirmish in Bari, about 45km from Dholpur town. Three of the alleged smugglers were arrested, while two others escaped.
Twenty-six cows, allegedly being ferried to Mathura and Hathras in UP for sale, were rescued from a container truck, escorted by a jeep. One of those arrested is from Muzaffarnagar in UP, and the other two from Rajasthan’s Karauli, police said.
The Bajrang Dal activists reportedly alerted police around 11:45pm about suspected illegal cattle transportation. Acting on the tip, police set up barricades in an attempt to stop the vehicle. However, when the suspects noticed the roadblock, they abandoned their vehicles and tried to flee into a nearby forest. During the chase, the group fired three shots, injuring Parmar.
The rescued cattle were later sent to a local cow shelter. Police are interrogating the three suspects for more information about their plans.