Late on the night of Saturday last, Jitendra Yadav, a gym trainer, was shot by a policeman in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, adjacent to the national capital. Mr Yadav is in hospital in a critical condition. Two others who were with him were also injured. His family has alleged that the police stopped and shot them while they were returning from a family function and that the attack was caste-related and carried out for rewards.
The Uttar Pradesh police have denied this, but have issued two completely different reports on the incident. In one of the press releases, the UP police claimed that the gym trainer and others were having dinner with a sub-inspector and that the cop opened fire after an argument.
Both reports were issued the same day on February 4.
On Monday, the National Human Rights Commission sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, its second in 10 months, over the shooting. "The Commission has observed that it seems that the police personnel in the State of Uttar Pradesh are feeling free, misusing their power in the light of an undeclared endorsement given by the higher ups. They are using their privileges to settle scores with the people," the NHRC said in a strong statement.
Vajeshni said that on Saturday night Jitendra Yadav, who owns a gym and a shoe store, was dropping them back home from engagement ceremony in Berhampur, in nearby Ghaziabad, when the cops attacked them around 10.30 pm.
Refuting reports of the encounter, UP Director General of Police OP Singh said, "There has been no encounter in Noida. That incident is a criminal activity where one of our sub-inspectors, a shot got fired from him and hit the other person. They were known to each other personally." He added that "Encounter is one where we crackdown on wanted criminals."
The opposition parties have also attacked the ruling BJP and UP police over the encounter. "Entire station is criminal and everyone should be suspended," said UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, adding that "there should be a CBI inquiry."
Reacting to the story, the Noida Police said the difference in police versions was because of confusion over the initial information provided by the policemen who responded to the shooting incident. As it was a fluid situation, incorrect information of how the incident happened was transmitted initially, but corrected later, the police added.
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