Nearly 13,000 police encounters in Uttar Pradesh over seven years; 207 criminals shot dead
Lucknow: In the past seven years, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed 12,964 police encounters, resulting in the deaths of 207 listed criminals and 17 police officers. The data reveals that, on average, a listed criminal was killed every 13 days between March 20, 2017, and September 5, 2024. Most of these criminals had cash rewards ranging from Rs 75,000 to Rs 5 lakh for their arrest.
Meerut Zone recorded the highest number of encounters, with 3,723 incidents leading to the deaths of 66 criminals and the arrest of 7,017. Across the state, police arrested 27,117 individuals following encounters during the same period, with 1,601 criminals injured in these operations. Additionally, 17 police officers were killed in action, and another 1,601 sustained bullet injuries.
The Uttar Pradesh Police, under a "zero tolerance against crime" policy, has taken extensive action against gang lords and mafia members since 2017. Special Task Force (STF) and district police have been actively involved in these operations. State police chief Prashant Kumar stated that all encounters have adhered to Supreme Court guidelines, and none have faced scrutiny from the apex court.
Among the criminals killed were notorious figures like Uday Bhan Yadav, alias Gauri Yadav, and Balraj Bhati, who had numerous cases of dacoity, murder, and extortion against them.
Kumar further said that criminals who engage with police will be dealt with seriously, and the police will continue their efforts to combat crime in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
