KENDRAPARA: A 30-year-old man suffered grievous injuries after being shot at by unidentified cattle smugglers at Gandakhia chowk under Kendrapara Sadar police limits on Thursday night.
The victim, Akshaya Das of Pasta village, sustained a bullet injury to his left thigh and has been admitted to the hospital.
Sources said Das along with three other locals intercepted a cattle-laden lorry near Gandakhia chowk at around 11.30 pm on Thursday night. Soon after, another vehicle following the lorry arrived at the spot and six cattle smugglers armed with sticks and firearms got down from it.
They reportedly fired in the air and threatened Das and his associates not to block the movement of the cattle-laden vehicle. When the locals refused, one of the cattle smugglers opened fire at Das before fleeing the spot in their vehicle with the lorry.
Subsequently, villagers rushed Das to Kendrapara district headquarters hospital. He was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as his condition was serious.
On being informed, police reached the spot for investigation. Kendrapara Sadar IIC Suvendu Kumar Sahoo said all the accused involved in the incident are cattle smugglers. Police have registered a case against the unidentified cattle smugglers under section 109 of BNS and 25 of the Arms Act.
The IIC said following the incident, tension prevailed in Pasta village and nearby areas on Friday as locals staged protest seeking action against the culprits and immediate steps to check cattle smuggling in the area. Police managed to pacify the agitating villagers after assuring them of necessary action in this regard.
“We are scanning the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area and verifying eyewitness accounts to identify the accused. All the miscreants involved in the incident would be arrested soon,” Sahoo said.