BHOPAL: Three police personnel, including a sub-inspector, lost their lives in a gun battle with 7-8 poachers in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh in the wee hours of Saturday. The slain police personnel were identified as sub-inspector Raj Kumar Jatav, head constable Neeraj Bhargava and constable Santram Meena. The trio was killed in an exchange of fire with the poachers at around 2.45 am in Aron area. The driver of a police vehicle was hurt in the incident but is now stated out of danger.
The police said one of the poachers identified as Naushad, who was possibly injured in the retaliatory police firing, was found dead in his native village Bidhoria, around 4 km from the spot of the encounter. Later, another poacher identified as Shahzad was gunned down by the police in an “encounter”.According to Guna SP Rajeev Mishra, three to four police parties had been sent to the forest, following information about the presence of poachers.
Seeing the police teams surround them from all directions, the poachers on four motorbikes tried to flee by indiscriminately firing on the police. “The poachers managed to flee along with a police rifle. Remains of poached blackbucks and a peacock were seized from the spot,” Mishra said.CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a meeting over the incident after which he announced Rs 1 crore and a government job each for the bereaved families.
The CM also ordered removal of IG-Gwalior Zone Anil Sharma for reaching the crime spot. Meanwhile, bulldozing action was started against the properties, allegedly built on encroached land, of the absconding suspects. Opposition Congress attacked the government for its “failure to maintain law and order” in the state.