A late-night encounter between police and timber smugglers in Kelakheda, Uttarakhand, left one smuggler injured. The accused, shot in the leg, has been hospitalized.
Police Operation and Encounter
According to reports, the accused were wanted in a previous firing case involving forest officials in Gadarpur last November. Acting on a tip-off, police set up a cordon around the area at 1:30 AM on Saturday night. During the raid, one smuggler was apprehended, while another attempted to flee while firing at the police.
In retaliation, police fired back, injuring smuggler Jaswinder Singh alias Chhinder, a resident of Madhiya Hattu, Kelakheda. He was immediately taken to the district hospital.
Police Confirmation
Circle Officer Vibhav Saini confirmed that the injured smuggler was a wanted criminal and had been evading arrest. A search for other absconding accused is underway.
