In a large-scale anti-crime initiative, Uttar Pradesh Police executed 20 encounters in various districts in a 48-hour period under the “Operation Langda” and “Operation Khallas” campaigns following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s call for a no-tolerance policy against organized crime.
A statewide coordinated effort, the operations sought out offenders with ongoing records of robbery, extortion, or murder in the districts of Sabandalshahr, Shamli, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Hapur, and Meerut. In Bulandshahr, three wanted criminals with reward money were detained after a shootout. Shamli had four incidents of use of force resulting in the arrest of six members of a gang – here Kanpur saw two gun fights with bullets exchanged. Other districts generally had at least one use of force a day.
The most severe incident was in Naglakhepad Jungle where officers from the Special Task Force encircled a gangster called Inderpal with a police action resulting in a shoot out and an hour-long stand-off. He was shot dead in a number of gang cases and the state has done significant damage to his sect in western UP.
In Gorakhpur, tension peaked after officers encountered two suspects involved in a complaint against a village head. The suspects fled and threatened police officers in their vehicle before a shoot out occurred. Two police officers were injured in the altercation before they were subdued and arrested.
Police conveyed that this is part of an ongoing eight-year effort resulting in over 14,000 individuals encountered, 239 deaths from crime, and over 9,400 additional injuries.
While the government expressed support for the crackdown emphasizing public safety, human rights advocates recognized concern for the range and intensity of the encounters. Senior police law enforcement personnel defended the action, reiterating armed criminals would face swift consequences.
Reiterating his position, Chief Minister Adityanath stated, “Law-breakers will be treated forcefully. Those who take up arms against the law will receive the deserved police response.”
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