78 criminals killed in over 3000 encounters during Yogi govt’s first 16 months

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 25 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh police and special task force (STF) have killed 78 criminals during the first 16 months of Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government.
The statistics has been revealed by the state government while listing the achievements to be publicised on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations in the state.
Outlining the improvement in law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has asserted that a state-wide campaign was taken up by the law enforcement agencies for the arrest of wanted criminals and to put an effective control on criminal activities.
As many as “3028 encounters took place between police and criminals till July 2018. During these encounters 69 criminals were killed, 838 were wounded and 7043 were arrested. During the same period, 11981 criminals also cancelled their bail and surrendered in the court,” said the government.
The government also stated that STF also killed nine wanted criminals during an encounter and arrested 139.
The revelation of encounter statistics comes days after the apex court had issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on encounter killing.
The Supreme Court on January 15 had issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the recent encounter killings in the state.
After hearing a plea of the litigant, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said: "It is a very serious matter which requires a detailed hearing". The matter will be next heard on February 12.
On December 2, Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that police encounters in the state are fake and are being executed allegedly under the patronage of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
"Encounters are to deceive. The law and order have worsened at the places where these encounters took place," alleged Akhilesh Yadav.
He had also alleged that most of the encounters have taken place in western Uttar Pradesh and law and order situation has worsened there.
However, the state government has refuted all allegations of fake encounter and has maintained that the encounters were only conducted as necessitated during the confrontation of criminals by police. (ANI)