‘Should cops take the bullet and not fire back?’: CM Yogi Adityanath on police encounters

“And when that language has been used, you would have seen that over the past nine years there has been no talk of disturbance of peace anywhere. There have been no riots, no extortion by goons, and no lawlessness,” he added.

He further asserted, “We did try to act within the framework of the law. But many times, as you would also understand, if the person in front is not afraid of the law, then bringing them within the ambit of the law and making them understand the language of the law becomes an immediate and pressing situation.”

Last week, taking cognizance of incidents in which suspects were shot by police in the leg, the Allahabad HC had said such encounters had “become a routine feature” in Uttar Pradesh and were being executed to “please senior officers or to teach a lesson to the accused”.

The bench of Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal stated, “This Court is frequently confronted with cases where, even in matters involving petty offences such as theft, the police indiscriminately resort to firing by projecting the incident as a police encounter… Such conduct is wholly impermissible, as the power to punish lies exclusively within the domain of the Courts and not with the police…”

During the conclave, which was inaugurated by CM Adityanath, the state government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 10,000 crore with pharmaceutical companies, officials said.

The CM assured the investors, saying the state government would stand firmly with them and has ensured zero political interference, transparent policies and time-bound incentive disbursement.