New Delhi: Hitting out at the Uttar Pradesh government over the Bahraich encounter, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday raised doubts over the action taken by the Uttar Pradesh police. He pointed to the “thok denge” policy of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Five people allegedly behind the Bahraich violence were nabbed and arrested after an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police. Two of the key accused sustained bullet injuries in the police encounter. The police contended that the accused were trying to escape to Nepal.
In a sharp reaction to the encounter, Owaisi pointed out that if the cops had adequate evidence, they should have gone for legal punishment for the accused rather than resorting to extrajudicial measures.
Taking to X, he wrote in a post: “It is not difficult to know the truth about the “encounter” of the accused of Bahraich violence by the police. Everyone knows about Yogi’s “Thok Denge” policy.” “If the police had so much evidence, then efforts would have been made to get the accused punished legally,” he said.
बहराइच हिंसा के आरोपियों का पुलिस से “एनकाउंटर” का सच जानना मुश्किल नहीं है। योगी की “ठोक देंगे” नीति के बारे में सब जानते हैं। अगर पुलिस के पास इतना सबूत होता तो आरोपियों को क़ानूनी सज़ा दिलाने की कोशिश होती।
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 17, 2024
How the encounter took place
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said the encounter occurred as the cops were taking the five accused for recovery of weapons near the India-Nepal border and the two of the accused tried to escape.
He told ANI that as they tried to flee, shots were fired. “During this, Mohammed Sarfaraz and Mohammed Talib were injured. Abdul Hameed, Fahim, and Abdul Afzal were arrested. A total of five accused were arrested,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has also questioned the UP government’s action. He levelled allegations that the Yogi Adityanath-led government is carrying out frequent encounters to hide its failure. “If encounters had been improving the law and order of the state, UP would have been way ahead of most states…”