"No Encounter Policy": Senior UP Cop To NDTV After 2 Encounter Killings

Facing tough questions after two encounter killings by the Uttar Pradesh police linked to the killing of a witness in a BSP MLA's murder case last month, Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (ADG) law and order, UP Police, today said there was no 'encounter policy' and the police only shot in self-defence.

"Our action is being taken on the complaint of Umesh Pal's wife. We will not spare anyone. Whatever we are doing, we will prove it in court," he told NDTV.

According to police, Usman, the man killed yesterday, was one of the six shooters who pumped bullets into Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party legislator Raju Pal, on February 24. Two policemen, on Umesh Pal's security duty, died of injuries later.

Umesh Pal was a key witness in the murder of Raju Pal, a BSP legislator murdered months after winning the Allahabad (West) Assembly seat by defeating former Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed's younger brother Khalid Azim.

Atiq Ahmed, his brother and former MLA Ashraf are accused in the Raju Pal murder case and are currently in jail.

Prashant Kumar said they have 'zero-tolerance' for crime, and that Atiq Ahmed has been involved in crime since the last forty years.

Addressing the question on the identity of the person killed yesterday, he said there was no confusion in the name. His name is Vinay, and everyone knows him as Usman, he said.

Mr Kumar stressed that the police's actions were within the ambit of the law, and all encounters are investigated. The accused's illegal constructions have been demolished, he added.

Police had said the driver of the SUV used in the killing had been shot dead in an earlier encounter.

For the five other shooters, state police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 50,000. They have now raised it to Rs 2.5 lakh.