4 min readLucknowApr 14, 2023 08:27 AM IST
First published on: Apr 14, 2023 at 05:05 AM IST
The NUMBERS tell a story. The killing of Asad Ahmed, the 19-year-old son of gangster Atiq Ahmed, and his aide, is Encounter Number 183 since the Yogi Adityanath Government first took charge in March 2017. It’s the third encounter in the case related to the February 24 murder of Umesh Pal. It is also the third encounter in the first 13 days of April by the Uttar Pradesh police.
The police are keeping count. There is reason to. Since his swearing-in as Chief Minister on March 19, 2017, Yogi Adityanath threw his political weight behind this controversial police method. Indeed, within a fortnight of taking charge, UP police killed an alleged criminal Gurmeet in Nandanpur village in Saharanpur on March 31.
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad (L) and his aide Ghulam (R). (PTI)
For the CM, this was a powerful tool, in both style and substance, to crack down on crime, a key plank of his governance. He also believed this to be a deterrent. On June 3, 2017, during an India TV Aap Ki Adalat programme, he had said if criminals commit crime, “thok diye jayenge” (they will be knocked off).
“This happens to be the 183rd encounter killing since 2017 while keeping the promise of elimination of crime and the criminals,” confirmed Prashant Kumar, Special DG, Crime and Law & Order, who briefed media this afternoon along with Amitabh Yash, ADG UP Special Task Force, after Asad Ahmed and Ghulam Hussain were killed near Parichha embankment in Badagaon police station area of Jhansi.
“Those killed or hurt in the encounters are hardcore criminals. All the police agencies including STF and ATS are working as per chief minister’s directive of zero tolerance against crime and the criminals,” Prashant Kumar said.
Besides the 183 killings, official data shows that 5,046 criminals were arrested after being injured in police operations. In Uttar Pradesh, encounters where criminals are shot on their legs, is referred to as ‘Operation Langda’ not only among the policemen but also in the corridors of power.
The official data also states that 13 policemen were “martyred” during the last six years during such operations and 1,443 policemen were hurt.
Adityanath has also deployed this encounter narrative for political purposes. In a public rally in Shamli during January 2022 Assembly elections, he referred to those who bring insecurity, riots and mafia to the state, he said, “Yeh dekh lo, 10 March ke baad, yeh garmi poori shaant karva denge (Watch out, will calm them down after March 10)”.
More recently, on February 25, a day after the Prayagraj shootout when Umesh Pal and two gunners were killed, Adityanath said, “Iss mafia ko mitti mein mila denge” (This mafia will be razed to dust).
As per the data, maximum killings took place in 2018, the second year of his first term, and the minimum in 2022, the year he got re-elected for a second term. It was in 2018 – a year before Lok Sabha elections – that Adityanath showcased himself as a tough man dealing sternly with criminals. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah cited UP’s example as the best state in terms of law and order.
Jhansi: Police personnel at the site of the encounter in which jailed mafia Atiq Ahmad's son Asad was killed by the UP STF, in Jhansi, Thursday, April 13, 2023. (PTI Photo) 
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad (L) and his aide Ghulam (R). (PTI)
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