lucknow

Updated: Aug 11, 2018 14:51 IST

A constable and a guard were run over by a truck allegedly belonging to cattle smugglers in Hardoi district on Friday morning, police said.

Superintendent of police, Hardoi, Vipin Kumar Mishra said police constable Bipin Baisla and guard Sumer (goes by one name) were on patrol duty on a motorcycle when they were hit by a truck in Pihani police station area near Shahjahanpur border.

“Sumer died on the spot while Bipin succumbed to injuries on his way to Shahjahanpur district hospital. The truck driver fled the spot. Eyewitnesses said the truck was transporting cattle,” Mishra said.

Police stations of neighbouring districts were alerted about the incident and an operation was launched to locate the truck. Later, the truck was intercepted on Shahjahanpur-Bareilly highway near Roja police station.

A police officer at Roja police station said the truck driver was detained and the vehicle seized.

“The driver was transporting buffaloes. Police investigation is on to find out if the truck belonged to cattle traders as claimed by the driver or was used for cattle smuggling,” he said.

A police team from Hardoi also reached Roja to assist Shahjahanpur police in the case. Eyewitnesses have also been called to identify the truck.

After the formation of the BJP government in March 2017, the police were asked to launch a crackdown on cattle smugglers.

Police have been asked to check the documents of vehicles transporting cattle to curb the activities of cattle smugglers.