A suspected rhino poacher, who was arrested near India-Bhutan border in Assam’s Chirang district on Sunday night, was killed in an encounter on Monday morning, police informed.

According to police, the Special Task Force (STF) in Assam shot the alleged poacher while he was trying to flee from custody.

The poacher has been identified as Nareswar Basumatary.

Acting on a tip off, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Assam and a team of Chirang forest department launched an operation near India-Bhutan border on Sunday night.

Following which, three suspected poachers and smugglers identified as Nareswar Basumatary, Biran Narzary and Bahadur Magar were caught along the Indo-Bhutan border with rhino claw, skin, hand-made pistol and bullets in their possession.

They were later handed over to the STF.

Reportedly, the poachers were taking the police to the place where the police can nab other poachers.

However, one of them, Nareswar Basumatary allegedly attacked the STF officials and while trying to flee from the police, ended up with bullet injuries.

Following which he was taken to the Barpeta Medical College for treatment where he succumbed, police said.

“After reaching a forest area, he suddenly pushed the officials and tried to flee. We warned him but he didn’t stop and tried to snatch a gun from an official,” a senior official said.

His body has been sent for postmortem and investigations are underway.

“We are investigating the two arrested persons and we are interrogating them. More details will come in the investigation,” a senior official said.

According to the arrested poachers they killed two rhinos at the Manas National Park this year and that a seven-member gang of rhino poachers camped inside the Manas National Park in April and killed a rhino and other animals.

“They stayed for six days inside the park and killed a rhino. They have sold the rhino horn,” an official informed the media.

The forest officials said that they also recovered elephant tusks from the same poaching group operating in Manas Tiger Reserve.

According to a report by Assam Tribune, Nareswar was involved in the killing of at least 40 wildlife animals along with rhinos.