An alleged poacher, arrested on the charges of killing a one-horned rhinoceros in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, was shot at and injured while attempting to flee police custody in Biswanath district, an officer said on Monday.
Biswanath Superintendent of Police Navin Singh said the accused was arrested from Juria area in neighbouring Nagaon district on Saturday.
During interrogation, the accused claimed that he had bought weapons from Nagaland's Dimapur to kill the rhinoceros and remove its horn, and that he had hidden the weapons in Suwaguri area of Biswanath district.
A police team took him to the spot to recover those but he suddenly attacked a constable and attempted to escape.
Police asked him to stop and fired a warning shot in the air, but as he did not stop running even then, he had to be shot in the leg, Singh said.
He was initially admitted to Biswanath Civil Hospital but was later shifted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital.
The accused was earlier arrested and was currently out on bail.
At least 48 people have been killed and 117 injured in police action while allegedly trying to flee police custody or attacking law enforcers since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government came to power in May last year.
