A recent data reveals that there has been a significant rise in police encounters across Uttar Pradesh since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state in 2017. Several dangerous criminals have been neutralised in these operations, and many others have sustained injuries. Now, for the first time, the Uttar Pradesh Police has released comprehensive data on the state's anti-crime operations over the past eight years.
How many criminals were killed and injured?
According to the data released by the Acting Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna, a total of 234 hardcore criminals have been gunned down in police encounters between 2017 and 2024. Additionally, 9,202 criminals were injured during these confrontations. An official statement stated that the state government has enforced a strict zero-tolerance policy against crime, and the sustained crackdown on criminal elements reflects this commitment.
What about arrests and police casualties?
In the last eight years, there have been 14,741 incidents of encounters across Uttar Pradesh. These operations led to the arrest of 30,293 criminals. However, these crackdowns haven't come without cost as 18 police personnel lost their lives while combating criminals in the line of duty and around 1,700 policemen were injured during these high-risk operations.
Which zone saw the most encounters?
1. Meerut zone leads in action
As per the data, the Meerut zone recorded the highest number of encounters across the state — 4,183 operations in total. These resulted in the arrest of 7,871 criminals and injuries to 2,839. Notably, 77 dreaded criminals were killed on the spot in this region. The toll on the police force included two fatalities and 452 injuries.
2. Varanasi zone in second place
Varanasi came in second with 1,041 recorded encounters. In these operations, 2,009 criminals were arrested, 605 were injured, and 26 were killed. Meanwhile, 96 police officers sustained injuries.
3. Agra zone ranked third
The Agra zone witnessed 2,288 encounter incidents, which led to the arrest of 5,496 criminals. Among them, 715 sustained injuries, and 19 were shot dead in encounters. The operations also resulted in injuries to 56 police personnel.
ALSO READ: 10 encounters in 24 hours across 8 cities in Uttar Pradesh: Know all about Operation Langda
