SC adjourns PIL seeking court-monitored probe into UP encounter killings

New Delhi [India], Feb 12 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) against the alleged fake encounters in Uttar Pradesh.

The apex court has asked the petitioner to file additional documents, showing statements of victims' families and then register the case before the National Human Right Commission (NHRC).

The petition filed by the PUCL termed the encounters "massive administrative liquidations", adding that the police encounters are in open defiance of civil liberties and human rights.

On January 14, the apex court issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau Investigation (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 stated: "It is a very serious matter which requires a detailed hearing."

According to information released by Uttar Pradesh Police last year in January, there were a total of 1,142 police encounter in the state between March 20, 2017, and January 31, 2018.

Recently, Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that police encounters in Uttar Pradesh are fake and are being executed allegedly under the patronage of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Encounters are to deceive. The law and order worsened at the places where these encounters have taken place," said Akhilesh Yadav. He said that most of the encounters have taken place in Western Uttar Pradesh and law and order situation has worsened there.

"Not only are the opposition parties saying that these encounters are fake but also the NHRC and the court have raised fingers on these encounters," said Yadav.

He further said the people are falsely implicated as criminals before their encounters and even policemen shoot upon themselves to prove that these encounters are not a fake one. (ANI)