SC issues notice to UP govt on PIL seeking court-monitored probe into recent encounter killings

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the recent encounter killings in the state.

After hearing a plea of the litigant, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi stated: "It is a very serious matter which requires a detailed hearing."

The matter has been posted for further hearing on February 12.

According to information released by Uttar Pradesh Police last year in January, there were a total of 1142 police encounter held in the state between March 20, 2017, and January 31, 2018.

Recently, Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that police encounters in Uttar Pradesh are fake and are being executed allegedly under the patronage of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Encounters are to deceive. The law and order worsened at the places where these encounters have taken place," said Akhilesh Yadav. He said that most of the encounters have taken place in Western Uttar Pradesh and law and order situation has worsened there.

"Not only are the opposition parties saying that these encounters are fake but also the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the court have raised fingers on these encounters," said Yadav.

He further said the people are falsely implicated as criminals before their encounters and even policemen shoot upon themselves to prove that these encounters are not a fake one.