Barely a week after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s controversial remarks that criminals in the state would “either be sent to jail or killed in police encounters”, the National Human Rights Commission served a notice to his government, seeking a detailed report on allegations of 19 encounter killings that have occurred over the past 6 months in the state.
Though encounter killings have long been known to occur throughout the country, the most recent remarks by Adityanath appear to suggest an official endorsement.
ThePrint asks: Does CM Adityanath’s statement on encounter killings reveal the UP government’s official position?
Colin Gonsalves
Founder of Human Rights Law Network
“Yogi’s statement clearly indicates that he has given the police the right to execute a person without bringing them to trial.”
Vappala Balachandran
Former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat
“The danger emanating from this statement is that the rank and file in that state police could be encouraged to begin what is called ‘encounter-killing.'”
Ujjwal Nikam
Public prosecutor, worked on the 1993 Bombay bombings and 2008 Mumbai attacks
“The rule of law must prevail in our country.”