Karnal, May 3 -- A 25-year-old man was shot dead by cow smugglers in Ambala on Friday night after they mistook him for a cop, police said on Saturday. The deceased Gurpreet Singh, alias Happy, of Garnala village and his friend were returning home after completing their night shift at Prime Cinema in Ambala Cantonment. The incident happened near Tundla village at around 2 am, when a police team was following cow smugglers on suspicion. Police said the smugglers mistook the victim for a police official who was approaching from the opposite direction, and opened fire. Speaking to reporters in Ambala, the victim's friend said, "We were returning after our night shift at Prime Cinema around 1.30 am on a two-wheeler. Three vehicles were coming from the opposite direction and all of a sudden there was firing and a bullet hit Gurpreet, after which we fell on the road. As I removed his helmet, his face was covered in blood." Gurpreet was taken to Ambala Cantonment civil hospital, where he was declared dead. The body was handed over to the family after an autopsy. Following information, cabinet minister and local MLA Anil Vij reached the hospital and spoke with the relatives. He also directed superintendent of police (SP) Ajit Singh Shekhawat to nab the culprits at the earliest. Speaking to HT, SP said that teams have been formed to catch the accused, who are said to be four or five in number. "Though, the exact cause behind the firing will be clear once the accused are arrested, but it has come to fore that our PCR was on patrol, when they witnessed a pick-up truck speeding after watching them. The team followed them and the accused started firing on the police party. This was when the victim came from the other side and the accused mistook him for being a cop and fired," the SP said. An FIR has been registered under the relevant section of the BNS....