Meerut, Jun 6 (PTI) Three suspected cow smugglers were arrested after an overnight encounter with police in Meerut's Bhavanpur area, officials said on Friday.

One of the accused, Shoaib, was injured in police firing and taken to a hospital.

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Bhavanpur Police Station SHO Kuldeep Kumar Singh said the operation was launched after two cow heads were found in a vacant plot near Gokuldham Society on June 1.

On the intervening night of June 5 and 6, police intercepted three suspects on a motorcycle near Ladpura village, but they opened fire. In self-defence, the police fired in retaliation, he said.

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"Shoaib and his accomplices, Abdul Ahad and Shajid alias Fasil, were taken into custody. During interrogation, they confessed to slaughtering stray cattle after sedating them and selling the meat," he said.

The accused have prior cases under the Cow Slaughter Act, Arms Act, and Gangsters Act. A country-made pistol and a numberless Pulsar bike were recovered, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)