The Uttar Pradesh police have carried out over 3000 encounters in the first 16 months of the Yogi Adityanath government. As per a report in the Indian Express, a total of 78 criminals have been gunned down and over 838 criminals have sustained injuries.
The report says that the data on the police encounters and arrests of criminals is to be made into a list and shared with the public on the occasion of the Republic Day. UP state chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey has reportedly sent the communication to all district magistrates ahead of the Republic day.
More than 7043 criminals have been arrested in the period of 16 months since Yogi Adityanath took charge. The UP government data shows the figures available from 17 March 2017 to July 2018. The figures reportedly show that in the first 9 months, the average criminal death in an encounter was 1.8 per month, while in the later seven months, from January 2018 to July 2018, 61 criminals have been gunned down, 8.71 per month.
The government data also states that in the same period, almost 11,981 criminals have cancelled their bails and surrendered in courts.
Yogi Adityanath’s tough stand on criminals and repeat offenders was even criticised by the left-liberal biased media and opposition parties. Even the National Human Rights Commission had pulled up the Yogi government over the encounters going on in the state. But the Mahant of Gorakhpeeth had made it abundantly clear that those who threaten the safety and peace of the society will not be spared by his government.
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Fearing the encounters, thousands of dreaded criminals had reportedly got their bails cancelled and preferred to remain in jails in UP.
In one of the most intriguing cases, the UP police had tracked down a gang headed by former Etah councillor Sabir Ali. Sabir Ali’s gang had hatched an elaborate plan to hunt down and kill Hindu Sadhus living in temples in remote rural areas. In a spree of murders, several Sadhus were tortured and killed. UP police had arrested the mastermind Sabil Ali with 3 of his accomplices and had killed another two murderers in an encounter which media persons recorded live.
Sabir Ali later confessed that his gang had murdered over six persons to frame four key witnesses who had testified against him in another murder trial.
The NHRC had taken objection to Yogi Adityanath’s remark that criminals in UP will either be killed or jailed. However, in a statement, the commission had admitted that they have no solid ground to assume that there has been a violation of human rights by the government.
Under the Yogi government, the UP police have also earned accolades for its quick response, efficiency and active utilisation of technology and social media to resolve cases and help the public.