BHUBANESWAR: Amid a surge in violent crimes that have rocked the state, the Odisha Police has responded with a spate of encounters. Between May 12 and 25, at least six such incidents involving criminals have been reported across districts, the latest one occurring near Berhampur.
About seven anti-social elements have been nabbed following these encounters and, in most cases, they suffered bullet injuries. The encounters took place in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Ganjam districts. In the latest incident, an anti-social accused of brutally assaulting a rival with a sharp weapon was shot at by police when he allegedly tried to hurl bombs at the cops on the outskirts of Berhampur early on Monday.
After Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi lashed out at the state police over the law and order situation and called for stringent measures, the force appears to have taken a leaf out of the book of Uttar Pradesh. Are they adopting the ‘thok denge’ mantra of their UP counterparts?
State Police Headquarters described it as a “crackdown on violent criminals and swift action to send a strong warning to anti-social elements”. It listed some of the incidents and said the police action and encounters clearly reflect the zero-tolerance policy towards criminals and anti-social elements threatening public safety.
However, human rights activists and retired police officers differ. “Taking law-enforcement and judicial duties into one’s own hands ultimately undermines the justice delivery system,” said a retired IPS officer requesting anonymity.
Former DGP Manmohan Praharaj opined that police should continuously initiate legal action against habitual and notorious criminals by arresting and booking them under various preventive detention laws. “The police have a duty to keep a close vigil on anti-socials on a regular basis,” he added.
Rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo said police encounters are not admissible in the legal system. “The Supreme Court has maintained that police encounters affect the credibility of the rule of law and the administration of the criminal justice system. As per the rule of law, police encounters are not permissible,” he added.
“Encounter is a criminal philosophy, and trigger-happy policemen who think they can kill or injure people should know they cannot get away with it,” he said.
However, Odisha Police said they are taking stringent steps to maintain law and order, protect the public and control crime. “In various incidents over the last few days, hardened criminals attacked police personnel and tried to escape when efforts were being made to arrest them. In such circumstances, police opened fire in self-defense and arrested all the accused persons,” an official statement issued on the day claimed. It added that such strict and legal action will continue in the coming days.