Guwahati: A suspected rhino poacher, who was nabbed following a nearly one-year-long chase, was injured when police fired at him as he purportedly attempted to flee from custody in Assam’s Darrang district, a police officer said on Friday.
A policeman was also injured when the accused, who carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on his head, elbowed him in the chest and tried to flee, the officer said.
He said the poacher, identified as Abdul Matin alias Kala, was arrested on Thursday night and a rifle and cartridges seized from his possession.
“He told us about the location of more weapons hidden near Orang. As we reached the spot, he shoved a policeman who was holding him and tried to run away.
“We asked him to stop but as he continued running, we had to open fire. He was hit in the leg and is under treatment now,” the officer said.
He said the policeman whom Matin had pushed sustained injuries on his upper body and is also undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
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Special Director General of Police G P Singh, in a tweet about Matin’s arrest, wrote: “After almost year long hunt, Abdul Matin @ kala, one of the main criminal behind January 2022 rhino poaching at @kaziranga has been arrested by @Darrang_Police.”
“One rifle suspected of used in crime has also been recovered,” he added.
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