Alleged members of a liquor mafia killed a police constable and critically wounded an inspector in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj district, about 350 kilometres from here.
One of the accused was later gunned down in an encounter with the police.
According to police sources, two cops, identified as Inspector Ashok Kumar Singh and constable Devendra Mumar, had gone to paste an attachment notice on a liquor shop at Nagla Bangar village in the district on Tuesday evening, when they were confronted by the accused persons.
Sources said that the liquor trader, identified as Moti and goons associated with him and overpowered the two cops and tied them to a tree. They were thrashed by Moti and his accomplices and were later dumped in the fields a few hundred metres away. The service revolver of the inspector was also taken away by them.
The two cops were found lying in a pool of blood by a police team, which reached the spot after receiving information, sources said adding that they were rushed to the hospital, where Devendra succumbed to injuries a little later. The condition of the inspector was stated to be critical.
During a massive search operation launched by the police, one of the accused persons, identified as Elkar, was gunned down in an encounter with the cops late in the night. Moti, the main accused, however, managed to escape, sources said.
Earlier, a police inspector was brutally hacked to death by a mob of alleged saffron activists over a cow slaughter incident in Bulandshahar district.