Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Police carried out 35 encounters across the state over the past two days as part of an intensified crackdown in which three alleged criminals were killed, more than 36 injured and over 60 suspects were arrested, officials said on Friday.
Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna said the action reflected the state government’s “zero-tolerance policy against crime” and an ongoing campaign against organised criminal networks.
The intensified crackdown comes in the backdrop of National Crime Records Bureau’s release of ‘Crime in India 2024’ report that showed Uttar Pradesh recording a crime rate of 180.2 per one lakh population lower than the national average of 252.3.
Commenting on the NCRB report, Krishna in a statement issued on Thursday had said the figures reflected “sustained and deliberate efforts” by the police force, including modernised police stations, anti-Romeo squads, women help desks and continued action against organised crime.
Senior police officials further said the recent operations reflect continued efforts to strengthen law and order and sustain improvements in crime indicators.
According to officials, the encounters were reported between May 6 and 7 in districts including Muzaffarnagar, Hardoi, Mathura, Bareilly, Gonda, Etawah, Shravasti, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shamli, Varanasi, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Amroha, Raebareli, Jaunpur and Mau.
Police records show that in most incidents, the accused allegedly opened fire on police teams while attempting to flee, prompting retaliatory firing in which the suspects sustained bullet injuries, mostly in their legs.
Among the three deaths, two were alleged members of the Bawaria gang, killed in Mathura during an operation linked to a robbery case in which a family was allegedly held hostage and robbed of jewellery and valuables last month.
Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar told reporters that the two accused identified as Pappu alias Rajendra and Dharmveer alias Lambu, both from Rajasthan allegedly opened fire when officers attempted to arrest them based on intelligence inputs.
Police said both suspects, who carried rewards of ₹50,000 each, were injured in retaliatory firing and later declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Two police personnel were also injured in the exchange of fire.
According to police records, Rajendra was wanted in 11 criminal cases, while Dharmveer faced 16 cases registered across multiple states.
In Hardoi, police said an individual accused of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of a seven-year-old boy was hot dead.
Hardoi SP Ashok Kumar Meena identified the accused as Menoor alias Mehnuddin, a resident of neighbouring Kannauj district, against whom around a dozen criminal cases were registered.
Police said the accused, who carried a ₹50,000 reward, allegedly opened fire when cornered during a vehicle-checking operation, following which police retaliated. A sub-inspector sustained a bullet injury to his hand during the exchange.
Officials further said 36 accused were injured in the encounters, while another 20 suspects were arrested unharmed during separate combing and search operations. Four police personnel were also injured in two separate incidents and are stated to be in stable condition.
Police said the highest number of encounters seven were reported from Muzaffarnagar, where 10 accused sustained bullet injuries and 11 others were arrested. Additional arrests were also made during combing operations.
Several encounters in Muzaffarnagar were linked to cases of robbery, dacoity, mobile-phone snatching and theft. Among those arrested were suspects allegedly wanted by Punjab Police and several accused carrying cash rewards, officials said.
“The police action is fully aligned with the government’s zero-tolerance policy against crime. No criminal activity will be tolerated, and those involved will continue to face strong and swift action,” the DGP said.
He added that the police force was also focused on ensuring speedy conviction of criminals by improving the quality, professionalism and pace of investigations.
According to official figures shared by the police, since 2017, a total of 272 criminals have been killed and more than 11,000 injured in police encounters across Uttar Pradesh.
More than 85,000 accused have faced action under the Gangster Act, while 977 people were booked under the National Security Act.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
