Akhilesh Yadav alleges ‘pattern of encounters’ under BJP rule: ‘Pick someone first…’
Akhilesh Yadav's latest attack stems from the recent killing of Mangesh Yadav, a suspect in the ₹1.5 crore robbery at a jewellery store in Sultanpur.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh over the police encounters amid the ongoing controversy over the death of Mangesh Yadav, an accused in a high-profile robbery case.
In a scathing post on social media platform X, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of staging fake encounters and manipulating the justice system to target individuals, particularly based on caste.
"A pattern of encounters has been set in BJP rule," Yadav wrote, outlining what he described as a systematic method of orchestrating fake encounters.
He claimed that the ruling BJP first selects a target, creates a fabricated story, and later pressures the victim's family to remain silent. Yadav also accused the government of using media propaganda to support their narrative.
Akhilesh Yadav's remarks followed the killing of Mangesh Yadav, who was wanted in connection with a ₹1.5-crore daylight robbery at a jewellery store in Sultanpur in August. Mangesh Yadav, along with four others, had reportedly robbed the store in Thatheri Bazaar, and a reward of ₹1 lakh had been placed on his head.
Police claim Mangesh Yadav was killed in a retaliatory firing during an encounter led by an STF team early Thursday morning in Sultanpur. According to Additional Director General (law and order) Amitabh Yash, the criminal was involved in multiple cases of loot, robbery, and theft across Jaunpur, Sultanpur, and Pratapgarh districts between 2021 and 2024.
However, Akhilesh Yadav’s post insinuated that the encounter was staged to cover up police excesses and deflect attention from the real issues.
"The more the BJP with its forces tries to prove such encounters to be true, the bigger the lie that encounter actually is," Yadav said in his post.
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He accused the BJP of shielding its top leaders by using second-tier politicians to defend these actions and leveraging media outlets for propaganda.
“Then get your so-called big BJP leaders, who are experts in lying, to make irrational statements to justify such illegal encounters,” the former chief minister said.
“When public anger grows, conduct a formal, superficial investigation and bury the matter,” he added.
What's the controversy?
Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur had raised questions about the authenticity of the encounter, pointing to a photograph of a senior police officer wearing slippers during the incident. Thakur questioned how such footwear would enable the officer to engage in a high-speed chase, further fueling suspicions of a staged encounter.
“A picture of DK Shahi has surfaced in which he is seen wearing slippers at the time of the alleged encounter of Mangesh Yadav. The design of the slippers is such that running, chasing etc is impossible in them,” he said in a video statement.
Uttar Pradesh’s director general of police, Prashant Kumar, dismissed these allegations, stating that the police operate impartially and do not engage in caste-based actions. "The police do not engage in such things... they are taking action impartially," Kumar said during a media interaction in Lucknow.
The Sultanpur encounter is the latest in a series of such incidents in Uttar Pradesh, where the police have intensified their crackdown on criminals. While the BJP government hails these encounters as a success in curbing crime, opposition parties have expressed concerns over the increasing number of extrajudicial killings.