Summary:
Bhopal, May 14 (PTI) Three police personnel were killed after poachers opened fire on them in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh in the wee hours of Saturday while two of the assailants were also killed, officials said.
One of the accused was believed to be killed in retaliatory fire by the policemen, while another was killed in an encounter with police later in the evening.
Two accused were arrested by late evening while search was on for four others, said a senior police official.
The administration also demolished the houses of some of the accused.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a high-level meeting with senior officials after the incident, and announced financial assistance of Rs one crore each and government jobs for the next of kin of the slain policemen.
He also transferred Inspector General (IG) of Gwalior zone Anil Sharma for "delay" in reaching the site of the incident.
D Srinivas Verma, the new IG who replaced Sharma, told reporters that two accused, identified as Sonu and Jiya Khan, have been arrested, while four others were still absconding and they had a rifle snatched from the slain policemen in their possession.
Shahzad Khan, one of the alleged assailants, was killed in an encounter with police in the evening, he said, adding that police personnel Dhirendra Gurjar was injured in the skirmish.
A 12-bore gun and seven live cartridges were seized during the operation, he added.
The incident took place on Sahrok Road near Saga Barkheda village under the jurisdiction of Aron police station, 60 km from the state capital, around 3 am, said state home minister Narottam Mishra.
The police personnel had gone to the area after receiving a tip-off about the presence of poachers there, he said.
"As the police personnel surrounded them from all sides, the poachers opened fire.
Three policemen were killed in the firing," he said.
The slain policemen were identified as sub-inspector Rajkumar Jatav and constables Nilesh Bhargava and Santaram Meena.
Santosh Giri, driver of the private vehicle in which police were travelling, was injured in the incident and undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said Superintendent of Police Rajiv Kumar Mishra.
Police sources said that body parts of five black bucks and a peacock were recovered from the spot.
"Our police personnel sacrificed their lives while stopping the poachers in Guna.
By giving the status of martyrs to these policemen, their families will be given ex-gratia of Rs one crore each.
One family member of each martyr will be given a government job," CM Chouhan said in a statement after a high-level meeting.
"The criminals involved in the incident have been identified.