The Manesar district convenor of the Bajrang Dal was on Wednesday shot in the chest while he was chasing alleged cow smugglers in Gurugram, The Indian Express reported.

The man, identified as Monu, was admitted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The police said the incident took place around 3 am after Monu received a tip about four cows allegedly being transported illegally. The men from Bajrang Dal tried to intercept the truck and then continued to chase the vehicle reportedly for the next hour.

“They kept releasing cows from the vehicle all along the way to try to obstruct the passage of the vigilantes, but the latter [Bajrang Dal members] managed to evade the animals and continued after them,” Gurugram District President of Bajrang Dal, Abhishek Gaur, told the newspaper.

“At sector 10, however, they [the alleged smugglers] stopped the [vehicle] and opened fire on Monu and his group,” Gaur added. “Monu, who is our Manesar district convenor, was shot in the chest, and the smugglers managed to flee in the confusion.”

A video of the incident on social media showed the dramatic chase. The truck can be seen skipping checkpoints and breaking through police barricades.

The police were informed about the incident after Mohit was shot at. “An FIR was registered regarding the matter,” Subhash Boken, PRO of Gurgaon Police, said. “The vehicle in which the purported smugglers were travelling was found abandoned near Tauru. Investigations are being conducted to identify and nab them.”

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