While five smugglers of poppy husk from Daban Daban Kheri village in Kaithal district of Haryana were nabbed after a four-hour chase. One of the smugglers died of gunshot injuries that he accidentally sustained while the shot was aimed at one of the policemen, chasing the smugglers.

Policemen riding five horses gave a hot chase to the smugglers, even as the entire area ajoining Dhablan village was sealed by the police from Paiala, Nabha and Samana sub-divisions.

Jasbir Singh, a constable, was injured as he was hit by a sharp-edged weapon and has been admitted to the Government Rajindra Hospital, Superintendent of Police (Detective) Kewal Kumar said.

He said the injured cop had been promoted as havaldar.

The SP said one of the smugglers aimed a shot at constable Jasbir Singh, who ducked and the bullet hit another smuggler in the shoulder. The injured smuggler, Jaswinder Singh, succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the hospital.

He disclosed that the operation started following a tip-off to Nabha Station House Officer Devinder Singh that seven persons riding horses were selling poppy husk near Mehas Bir. The police immediately got into action and the operation started which lasted for over four hours.

A case under the Arms Act and Narcotics Act has been registered against the smugglers who have been identified as Jasbir Singh, Angrez Singh, Chhinder Singh and Pargat Singh, all residents of Daban Kheri village, and Kala Singh, a resient of Seon Majra village in Kaithal district of Haryana. However, one of the smugglers escaped in the melee that ensued in the chase, the SP said.

The smuglers, when spoken to by The Indian Express, said they had been carrying on with their trade as the police in Haryana turned a blind eye to their smuggling the commodity into Punjab. They said they bought poppy husk from certain rich villagers after it was off-loaded from a truck.