According to police officials, intelligence inputs indicated that six members of the notorious Adwani gang were smuggling cattle using an unpaved route along the Gurnawat railway line toward Rajasthan. Acting on this information, the Tauru CIA set up barricades to intercept the smugglers’ vehicle.

The police signalled the vehicle to stop at a checkpoint, but instead of complying, the smugglers rammed through the barricades and attempted to flee. As the police pursued them, the suspects opened fire, prompting retaliatory action from law enforcement agency.

“In the encounter, three smugglers sustained bullet injuries and were taken into custody, while the other three escaped. The injured men have been shifted to Nalhar Medical College for treatment. A manhunt has been launched to nab the fugitives,” said Mahendra Kumar, in-charge, Tauru CIA.

The police seized a Tata 407 truck, which was allegedly being used for smuggling cattle. Officials also recovered five cows, a 12-bore gun, 11 live cartridges, a country-made pistol with four empty shells, and a knife from the arrested suspects.

Initial investigations suggest that the gang was linked to multiple cases of cattle smuggling across Haryana and Rajasthan.

Nuh superintendent of police Vijay Pratap Singh confirmed that search operations in villages where the fugitives are suspected to have taken shelter. “Multiple teams have been deployed, and security has been heightened at border checkpoints to prevent their escape into Rajasthan. We are also interrogating the arrested suspects for further leads,” he said.