Lucknow (UP), Sep 12 (PTI) SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that the BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the “capital of fake encounters” where “deliberate murders” are orchestrated under the guise of police encounters.
His remarks prompted a strong rebuttal from Uttar Pradesh’s top police officer and prison department minister.
Addressing party workers and supporters in Lucknow, Yadav claimed that the recent encounter deaths of crime suspects, including the case of one Mangesh Yadav from Sultanpur, were part of a broader pattern of staged police actions targeting members of the PDA, a tem coined by the SP to refer to backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
His attack stems from the recent killing of Mangesh Yadav, a suspect in the Rs 1.5-crore robbery at a jewellery store in Sultanpur, who died allegedly after a gunfight with the police.
He had previously also termed Mangesh Yadav’s encounter as “fake” and alleged that it was done based on the basis of the accused’s caste.
In a scathing attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief said, “All limits of injustice have been crossed.” He questioned the legitimacy of the encounters, asking rhetorically, “Can anyone imagine in today’s time that a person would be gagged, bound, and beaten to death?” The former chief minister asserted that the encounter narrative in the Sultanpur incident was fabricated, citing discrepancies in the evidence.
“It is widely known that fake encounters have occurred under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. The murder of Mangesh Yadav was well known among people in the village and surrounding areas. The police had come at night and taken him away along with his belongings,” he claimed.
Criticising the government’s handling of the case, Yadav accused the BJP of making Uttar Pradesh the “capital of fake encounters”.
In response to these allegations, Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar firmly rejected the claims.
“There is no response to political claims. I outright rebut such allegations. No action is taken considering the caste or community of a criminal. If it is found that someone has taken action for personal benefit, there are sufficient checks and balances,” Kumar told reporters in Lucknow.
He assured that the police acted only after a thorough examination of the evidence and maintained that all actions were conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
The DGP said rumours are being circulated that the Uttar Police are “trigger-happy”, adding, “This is totally inappropriate.” “The UP Police is making diligent efforts to enforce Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s zero-tolerance policy towards crime,” Kumar added.
Further defending the government’s position, state Prison Minister Dara Singh Chauhan condemned Yadav’s remarks as “unfortunate.” Chauhan asserted that the state government has effectively brought criminals to justice and stressed that the police’s actions are widely appreciated.
“The police have killed a criminal who had a bounty of lakhs on his head. I condemn Akhilesh Yadav’s statement and his caste politics on the issue,” he said.
“Uttar Pradesh has become a role model in the whole country in terms of development and law,” the minister added.
The robbery in Sultanpur took place on August 28 at Bharat Jewellers in Thatheri Bazaar, Majerganj Chauk.
Of the 15 accused, three identified as Sachin Singh, Pushpendra Singh, and Tribhuvan were held while one Mangesh was killed in an encounter with the STF.
Later, one Vipin surrendered in court. The police on Wednesday arrested one Durgesh Pratap Singh, Vinay Shukla, Arvind Yadav alias Fauji, and Vivek Singh. PTI CDN KIS RPA
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.