SC seeks response of UP on plea alleging encounter killings in state

The Supreme Court today sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking a court-monitored CBI or SIT probe into the recent incidents of alleged police encounters and killings in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which did not issue a formal notice to the state government on the PIL of NGO People's Union for Civil Liberty (PUCL), asked it to serve the copy of the petition on Additional Advocate General of the state, who, in turn, will file the reply within two weeks.

"Let a copy of this petition be served on Aishwarya Bhati, Additional Advocate General for state of Uttar Pradesh. List after three weeks. The counsel for the state shall file response within two weeks," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

The bench did not agree with the submission of lawyer Sanjay Parikh, appearing for PUCL, that a notice be also issued to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as it had already taken note of alleged statements of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the encounters in the state.

The lawyer alleged that about 1,100 encounters have taken place in the last year in which 49 people were killed and 370 others injured.

The NGO, in its plea, has referred to news reports quoting the Chief Minister, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and Anand Kumar, ADJ Law and Order, justifying the encounter killings of criminals in the state.

It has sought a probe into the encounters by an independent agency, that is "Central Bureau of Investigation or a Special Investigation Team comprising of police officers of integrity and who have not served in the state of Uttar Pradesh."