Full Politics over ‘Half Encounters’ in UP: After Akhilesh’s Jibe, BJP Says SP Pained by Action against Criminals – News18

Shooting on the leg, often referred to as “half encounters”, has emerged as a trend during police operations in Uttar Pradesh (UP), with over 6,000 criminals and suspects injured in this manner over the past seven-and-a-half years of Yogi Adityanath’s government. The most recent such case is from the Bahraich communal clashes, which resulted in the death of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, and two accused were shot in the leg by police personnel after allegedly attempting to escape from custody. The matter has snowballed into a political skirmish, with the Samajwadi Party questioning the law-and-order record of the Yogi Adityanath government while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has hit out at the SP for “sympathising with criminals”.

Bahraich case

Mohammed Talib (28) and Mohammed Sarfaraz (32) were being taken to the Nanpara area to recover a weapon believed to have been used in Mishra’s killing. According to the police, the two men opened fire in an attempt to flee, prompting officers to respond, injuring them both. “When the police were taking the five arrested accused for weapons recovery near the India-Nepal border, the two accused tried to run away. As they tried to run away, shots were fired. During this, Mohammed Sarfaraz and Mohammed Talib were injured. Abdul Hameed, Fahim, and Abdul Afzal were arrested. Total five accused arrested,” said director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar.

Violence erupted on October 13 in Bahraich’s Maharajganj area after a Durga idol procession passed through a Muslim-majority neighbourhood. Tensions flared when some residents allegedly demanded the music accompanying the procession be turned off. A heated argument escalated into stone-pelting between two groups, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who was allegedly shot and killed inside Abdul Hameed’s house.

Hameed (62), his sons Sarfaraz, and Mohammad Fahim, along with Talib and Mohammad Afzal, were arrested. Authorities have indicated that the National Security Act (NSA) may be invoked against the accused, and investigations continue to uncover further details surrounding the deadly clashes.

Amethi case

This “half encounter” came almost 12 days after the accused in a murder case from Amethi had a similar fate. Chandan Verma, who was accused of murdering four of a family on October 3, was shot and injured in his leg by a police team on October 5.

In a statement, the police said Chandan was arrested on October 4. He snatched a police weapon and fired on the police team in an attempt to escape arrest. Chandan was injured in a retaliatory police shootout, the statement said. The incident took place when he was being taken for the recovery of the murder weapon, the police said. “While being escorted to recover the weapon used in the murder, Chandan Verma snatched sub-inspector Madan Kumar’s pistol and attempted to attack the police team. In response, the officials fired, injuring him in the leg. Verma has been admitted to Gauriganj District Hospital for treatment following the incident,” said Harendra Kumar, additional superintendent of police, Amethi.

These “half encounters” often involve serious crimes and non-lethal force is employed by law enforcement to subdue the accused. One such case occurred on September 20, when Ajay Yadav, alias DM, wanted in a Rs 1.5 crore jewellery robbery case in Sultanpur, was arrested after an encounter with the special task force (STF). The gunfight took place near Shrimti Shobhavati Devi Balika Inter College, Sultanpur, where Yadav was shot twice in the leg and hospitalised. He had been absconding since the robbery on August 28, 2024.

Similarly, in September, Shahban, accused of raping a Dalit minor girl in Raipatti Chiraindhapur, Ayodhya, was injured in an encounter during a police search operation. While allegedly trying to flee, Shahban opened fire at the police, resulting in retaliatory firing that left him with a leg injury. He was arrested and taken to the district hospital.

String of ‘half encounters’

During the seven-and-a-half-year tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed around 12,960 police encounters, marking a significant shift in the state’s law enforcement approach.

These operations have resulted in the deaths of about 200 listed criminals and 17 police officers. According to UP police data, the Meerut zone recorded the highest number of encounters, where 66 criminals were killed, followed by 21 in the Varanasi zone, and 16 in the Agra zone.

Since March 2017, around 27,000 criminals have been arrested across the state, and 1,601 were injured during the encounters. The crackdown has been extensive, but it has also taken a toll on law enforcement, with 1,600 police officers injured during these operations.

These figures highlight the state’s aggressive stance on crime under the Yogi Adityanath administration, say observers. However, the pattern has also led to the opposition launching an attack on the BJP government, calling the encounters a tool of the administration to cover up its failures.

Political squabble

Following the Bahraich half encounter, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government. “This incident was an administrative failure. The government is resorting to encounters to cover up its shortcomings. If encounters were truly improving law and order in the state, Uttar Pradesh would be far ahead of other states,” the SP chief stated.

Harish Chandra Srivastava, senior spokesperson of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, strongly hut back at Akhilesh. He said that during Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav’s time as the CM, most police encounters and actions against criminals took place. He also questioned why the SP always seemed pained when actions were taken against criminals, emphasising that several Samajwadi leaders have been implicated in serious crimes recently.

On the Bahraich case, Srivastava defended the police’s approach, stating that in situations where criminals attempt to escape, such measures are necessary. He said that if a bullet accidentally causes death, critics like Akhilesh would still find fault, calling it inhumane, despite the necessity of such actions.

He urged the SP to focus on condemning criminal activities instead of playing “vote ki rajneeti” (politics for votes) and siding with criminals.