Cattle smugglers ‘kidnap’ cop trying to stop vehicle, arrested

Nagpur: Police constable Hitesh Rathod was ‘rescued’ at Automotive Chowk by cops at a nakabandi point in the wee hours of Tuesday after he was ‘kidnapped’ while trying to intercept a vehicle of cattle smugglers at Guards Line.Rathod, who was part of the night patrolling team of Tehsil police station, had stopped a pick-up van for checking. The driver, Mohd Salim Mohd Anwar, told the cops he was carrying some cows belonging to one Raza Mohd Ismail Quereshi. The cops asked Anwar to follow them to Tehsil police station.On the way, Anwar stopped the vehicle to allow his accomplice, Quereshi, and others to unlock the rear of the pick-up van to free the bovines and flee with them. Noticing the ploy, head constable Rathod rushed towards the pick-up van.Rathod boarded the pick-up van to lock the flap to ensure the bovines could not run away. Anwar started speeding away with the vehicle, with Rathod on board. tnn