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3 cops shot dead by blackbuck poachers in Madhya Pradesh, 1 poacher killed
Police recovered two decapitated carcasses and five heads of blackbucks. A peacock carcass was also found on the spot.
BHOPAL/ GUNA: Four persons, including three policemen, died in a shoot-out between police and blackbuck poachers in Guna district of northern Madhya Pradesh on early Saturday, police said.
Sub-inspector Rajkumar Jatav, 27 and constables, Neeraj Bhargava, 38, and Santram Meena, 27, were the police personnel who died in the Aron forest of the district. A poacher identified as Naushad Mewati of Bedoriya village in Guna district was also killed and his four accomplices, all residents of Raghogarh of the same district, were arrested.
Guna superintendent of police, Rajeev Mishra, said the police got information about blackbuck poaching in the Aron forest near Sagabarkheda village of Guna. “When police personnel reached the spot at around 2.45am, they nabbed three poachers. But suddenly four poachers, who were on motorbikes, started firing,” he said.
The SP said the police personnel fired in retaliation and sudden firing caused injuries to them leading to the death of three personnel and injury to police vehicle driver.
He added 100 police personnel from 10 police stations reached the spot. Naushad’s body was recovered from his family in Bedoriya village and four accused were arrested. “Two accused are absconding,” the SP said.
Police recovered at least two decapitated carcasses and five heads of blackbucks. A carcass of the peacock was also found on the spot. Normally, blackbucks, Indian Antelopes, are killed for their horns and skin. Panchayat minister and MLA from Bamori in Guna, Mahendra Singh Sisodia claimed that the accused were local criminals who supplied blackbuck mean.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ex-gratia of ₹1 crore for the next kin of the deceased and said, “Police personnel killed get the status of martyr and will be cremated with full state honours. The accused will get a punishment that will be remembered for years. Inspector general of police, Gwalior division, Anil Sharma, has been removed for the delay in reaching the spot.”
Leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Govind Singh, demanded home minister Narottam Mishra’s resignation for failing to maintain law and order. “Not only people but police personnel are not safe in Madhya Pradesh. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s bulldozer failed in controlling the mafias. Home minister should resign from his post,” he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president VD Sharma sought a probe into the role of Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh into providing protection to local criminals saying his son Jaivardhan Singh was the local Congress MLA. Digvijaya Singh retorted, “I agree. From the Centre to the state, BJP is in power. A fair probe should be conducted and responsible people should be punished for this heinous crime.”
Sub-inspector Rajkumar Jatav’s father Ram Kishan, who retired as sub-inspector last month, reached Guna and demanded capital punishment for the accused. The body of head constable Neeraj Bhargava was cremated in Guna.
