While the Yadav community, Samajwadi Party and its INDIA bloc partner Congress accused police of carrying out caste-based encounters in BJP-led states, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Director General of Police justified the action, calling it impartial.
In the last seven-and-a-half years of Adityanath’s government, official records of the UP Police show that over 200 criminals were killed in police encounters. Of these, around 65 were Muslims and more than 140 were Hindus, primarily Yadavs and Singhs.
The Robbery
On August 28, five armed assailants, including Mangesh Yadav, forcibly entered Bharat Soni’s jewellery store in the bustling Tatheri Bazar of Sultanpur’s Chowk area. The group made off with ornaments and cash valued at Rs 1.5 crore. The robbery left Sultanpur cops red-faced as the accused managed to cross four police outposts without detection.
The Encounter
In the early hours of September 3, at around 3.40am, Sultanpur Police shot three men accused of the dacoity during an alleged encounter near an inter-college in Godawa area. Two of the accused — Sachin Singh and Pushpendra Singh — were shot in the right leg, while Tribhuvan Kori was shot in his left leg. The police recovered 15 kilograms of silver jewellery from the trio, which was believed to be part of the loot.
Another accused Vipin Singh, who has over two dozen criminal cases against him, had surrendered in a Rae Bareli court a day after the dacoity in connection with an older case. On September 4, the ADG of Lucknow Zone declared a Rs 1 lakh bounty on 10 remaining accused, including Mangesh Yadav of Jaunpur.
On September 5, the UP STF shot and killed Mangesh Yadav, the prime suspect, in an alleged encounter at Mishripur Muraina turn at around 3.25am. The STF team, led by deputy SPs DK Shahi and Vimal Singh, retaliated when Mangesh Yadav opened fire, said ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash.
Thakurs Vs Yadavs
The incident triggered the Thakur vs Yadav controversy in the state as Mangesh Yadav’s family termed the encounter fake. Mangesh’s father Rakesh Yadav, a driver in Gujarat, returned to Jaunpur after his son’s death and claimed that police in civilian clothes picked up his son from their home in Agraura village at around 2am on September 3.
“They kept him in custody for two days. Since no one approached the police, they shot him,” Rakesh Yadav told journalists. Mangesh’s mother Sheela Devi was home at the time of his alleged ‘abduction’. The family insists the encounter was staged, intensifying caste tensions between Thakurs and Yadavs in the region.
Caste Spin
The encounter quickly turned political, with opposition parties accusing the BJP-led government of carrying out caste-based encounters. As Mangesh Yadav’s family claimed the police staged the encounter, the issue gained traction when SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi voiced their concerns.
In a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling party of manipulating the situation. “It seems that the ruling party had deep connections with the people involved in the Sultanpur robbery. This is why the ‘main accused’ was contacted before the robbery and made to surrender. Other accused were shot in the leg for show and Mangesh Yadav was killed on the basis of caste,” he wrote. He further criticised fake encounters, saying: “Fake encounters turn the protector into a predator. The solution is not fake encounters, but real law and order.” He also alleged that robbery kingpin Vipin Singh was strategically allowed to surrender as he belonged to the dominant Thakur caste.
‘Criminal gang of BJP’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condemned the encounter, accusing the BJP of flouting the rule of law. “In BJP-ruled states, the ‘law and constitution’ are being flouted by those who have the responsibility to enforce them,” Gandhi said on X. He criticised the Special Task Force (STF), saying: “A professional force like the STF is being run like a ‘criminal gang’ under the BJP government.” Gandhi demanded impartial investigations into the suspicious encounters and justice for the victims.
Adityanath Backs Police
The UP chief minister, however, came out in support of the police. In a strongly worded statement, Adityanath said: “You must have seen that whenever one of their mafia proteges or a dacoit is killed by the police in an encounter, it seems like the police has placed its finger on their raw nerve, and then they start an outcry.”
Speaking at a government function in Ambedkar Nagar ahead of assembly bypolls, Adityanath played on the caste card as he posed a question: “The dacoit was killed in a police encounter… when he was brandishing a weapon and committing the dacoity, what if he had shot the customers in the (jewellery shop) and those killed could also have included a ‘Yadav’?”
Adityanath also blamed the SP for creating anarchy and said: “Those who used to consider power as their ‘bapauti’ (family property) have started realising that they will never return to Uttar Pradesh, that is why they are trying to conspire against us. They (SP) are trying to create anarchy. They have nothing to do with development and the safety of daughters and businessmen.”
UP DGP Denies Allegations
On the issue of caste-based encounters, UP DGP Prashant Kumar said: “The police do not engage in such things… they are taking action impartially.” He added that only officers who have to brave bullets know about the severity of such encounters.
200 Listed Criminals Killed
In the seven-and-a-half-year tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed approximately 12,960 police encounters, resulting in the deaths of about 200 listed criminals and 17 police officers.
Among the criminals killed, 65 were Muslims and over 140 were Hindus, including Yadavs and Singhs. Meerut Zone recorded the highest number of encounters, with 3,723 incidents since 2017, leading to 66 deaths and the arrest of 7,017 criminals, many of whom had bounties ranging from Rs 75,000 to Rs 5 lakh. Overall, around 27,000 criminals have been arrested and 1,601 injured in encounters since March 2017. Additionally, 17 police officers lost their lives, and 1,600 sustained injuries during these operations.
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