Poacher held after encounter in Pilibhit forest

Pilibhit: A 28-year-old poacher was arrested after a police encounter in a forest area near the Sharda river’s Hardoi feeder canal in Pilibhit on Tuesday night. A country-made .315 bore pistol, two live cartridges and a spent shell were recovered from the accused.Harjinder Singh from Raghavpuri village near the Indo-Nepal border sustained a bullet injury below the knee. The encounter was carried out by a Madhotanda police team led by SHO Ashok Pal.Singh, along with his accomplices, was earlier charged under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly killing a sub-adult wild boar in Barahi forest range on April 15.Acting on a tip-off about the presence of Singh and other poachers in the Barahi forest range, the police team reached the spot and cordoned off the area. “They opened fire, and in retaliatory firing, Singh was injured and arrested,” SP Sukirti Madhav said, adding that his accomplices managed to escape.“A fresh FIR under BNS sections 121(2), 109 and Arms Act 3/25 has been registered,” SHO Ashok Pal said, adding the accused was later sent to jail.