Chandigarh, Haryana Police shot dead an alleged cattle smuggler and seriously injured another in an encounter in Kurukshetra district early on Sunday, a senior police official said. 

The encounter took place in Thanesar area of the district, about 110 km from here, when the cattle smugglers were transporting cows in a pick-up jeep, police officials said.

“The smugglers were transporting cows in the pick-up vehicle when area villagers and police tried to stop them. However, they hit a police control room vehicle and fired on a police team that returned the fire. One smuggler was killed while another was injured in the shootout,” Kurukshetra district police chief Simardeep Singh said.

Police officials said at least three other cow smugglers fled the spot.

Haryana recently passed Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act to ban cow slaughter and prohibit transportation of cows for sale to other states.