The Supreme Court on Monday said its focus is on the “systemic problem” of murder and violence in Uttar Pradesh rather than individual cases while hearing a case concerning the killings of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf.
The oral comment made by a Bench led by Justice S. Ravindra Bhat gives an insight into the court’s intention to dig deeper into the “unholy nexus” between police and criminals in the State, as flagged by the Justice B.S. Chauhan Commission report on April 11, 2021.
In the previous hearing, the court had ordered the State to place on record the steps taken to implement police reforms recommended by the Justice Chauhan Commission, which was looking into the deaths of Uttar Pradesh-based gangster Vikas Dubey and his associates in “police retaliatory firing”.
A 206-page status report filed by the Uttar Pradesh government spelt out several police “reforms” undertaken following the Justice Chauhan panel report, including the separation of the law and order and investigation wings of the State.
It said that over 10,800 posts were created in the various cadres of the police. “Action to requisition 112177 further posts of various cadres is also under progress,” the report said.
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There were separate investigation units for heinous crimes, economic offences and cyber crime at important police stations in all districts, the government reported.
The report said the police department had undergone a “modernisation rehaul” and was equipped with drones, body cameras, post mortem kits, radios, anti-terrorism equipment and vehicles, etc. Supervision of local intelligence units was strengthened in 75 districts.
“The State has deputed a Special Task Force against organised criminals,” it noted. These criminals were booked under the amended Uttar Pradesh Gangster and Anto Social Activities (Prevention) Act of 1986.
“Anti-Land Mafia Task Force has been formed in all districts and monitored through a portal... Effective action is being taken against 66 mafia criminals of the State,” the government informed in the report.
Interestingly, the report informed that the State had issued “handcuffing instructions to prevent easy escape of hardened criminals” as part of the improvements.
The report also gave a detailed account of the investigation and inquiry into the “security lapses” which saw Ahmed’s assailants hoodwink the police officers to shoot him and his brother dead on April 15.
Besides a fair probe into the deaths of Ahmed, his brother and also his son, Asad, who was killed in a police encounter on April 13, petitioner-advocate Vishal Tiwari has sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that allegedly took place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.
Mr. Tiwari has alleged an “emerging pattern” in these deaths. His petition had alleged that the UP Police had gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in the six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government.
The court listed the case for hearing on July 14.
