Following what it referred to as a “zero-tolerance policy” towards such elements, the administration increased its crackdown on criminal elements and the mafia as soon as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assumed control of the state in order to strengthen the state’s law and order. UP Government nabbed more than 10000 encounters since 2017.
It is important to mention that during GIS-23, major officials and investors including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other notable figures commended the state’s law and order condition. The UP Police worked methodically to reduce crime, and their strategy included a crackdown on criminals and encounters that made criminals fearful enough to start running away from the state.
List of encounters by UP police
In all, the UP Government have nabbed more than 10000 encounters since 2017, of which the highest of 3,152 were conducted by the Meerut Police, followed by the Agra Police, which carried out 1,844 encounters in which 4,654 criminals were arrested while 14 criminals were killed and 55 cops were injured. A total of 1,497 encounters were conducted in Bareilly in which 3,410 criminals were killed and seven arrested. During the encounters in Bareilly, 437 criminals were injured.
Operation langda
A total of more than 10000 encounters have been witnessed with the Uttar Pradesh Police since 2017 after the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government came to power in the state. Interestingly, most of the criminals injured in the encounters have been shot in their legs. According to a report by The Indian Express, this is unofficially called “Operation Langda (lame)” by senior police officials of the state.
What does Court say about these encounters?
If an encounter killing occurs, a predetermined procedure based on Supreme Court principles must be followed. Other than that, a magisterial inquiry is conducted on each interaction. The victims have the full right to submit their cases in court. Nonetheless, as of this writing, no constitutional institution has made any negative remarks regarding experiences with the UP Police.
Officers in the Yogi government, looking ahead to the approaching assembly elections, have boasted of these encounters as an accomplishment towards the electoral pledge in 2017. The Supreme Court and the Opposition have questioned these killings.
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