Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has always underlined his crackdown on crime as a key imperative of his governance. To that effect, police encounters and bulldozing of properties of alleged criminals have become the visible symbols of a tough government bent on making Uttar Pradesh “apradh mukt” or crime-free.

The arrest of five men, accused of fomenting communal tension and killing a 22-year-old man in Bahraich, following a gunfight with police that left two of them wounded, has brought back the spotlight on the encounters by the Uttar Pradesh Police under the Yogi Adityanath regime.
    Thursday's encounter grabbed national attention as it came in the backdrop of massive unrest and public outrage in Bahraich that saw violent clashes on Sunday allegedly over loud music being played outside a place of worship during a Durga Puja immersion procession.
    A local, Ram Gopal Mishra, part of the passing group, died of gunshot wounds in the ensuing violence, triggering vandalism and arson in the area with mobs torching several houses, shops, showrooms, hospitals and vehicles.
    But then, Uttar Pradesh isn't new to police encounters per se, though some have lingered in public memory longer than others due to varied reasons and often come under the scanner with BJP’s political rivals alleging foul play.
    With nearly 51 criminals gunned down since Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's second term began on March 25, 2022, here's a look at some of the high-profile gunfights:
    
    Vikas Dubey
    The gangster was gunned down on July 10, 2020, days after the killing of eight policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, while the team was on its way to arrest Dubey in Kanpur Dehat on June 3, 2020.
     The sensational encounter that followed an equally sensational crime also made news for the 'gaadi palat gayi (vehicle overturned)' narrative of the police. According to the state police, the vehicle in which Dubey was being taken to Kanpur from Ujjain overturned after meeting an accident. The accused subsequently tried to "escape" and was shot dead, apparently in retaliatory fire by police.
     The Dubey encounter gave birth to several memes with social media users posting comments like "dekho gaadi na palat jaaye" on photos and videos of people accused of a crime being taken in a police vehicle.
    
    Mangesh Yadav
    An encounter that set off fierce political controversy was that of Jaunpur resident Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur on September 5, 2024.
     An accused in the Sultanpur robbery case, Yadav's encounter led to the opposition parties, chiefly the Samajwadi Party, accusing the police of engaging in selective 'caste' killings at the behest of the BJP government, a charge promptly denied by the ruling party.
     Shortly after Mangesh's killing, another accused in the same robbery case, Anuj Pratap Singh was also killed in a police encounter. The opposition alleged that the encounter of a "Thakur" was done to "balance" things.
    
    Asad Ahmed
    An encounter that made heads turn was that of Asad Ahmad, the son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. Asad Ahmed and Ghulam were killed in Jhansi in April 2023.
     The encounter of Asad Ahmed, who carried a Rs 5 lakh reward on him, saw politicians taking differing stands with some justifying the action and others questioning it.
    Meanwhile, a look at the statistics reveals that there have been fewer encounter deaths in Yogi 2.0 than in the Yogi government's first stint when around 158 criminals were gunned down. Not all of these encounters gained national attention.
    For instance, Tinku Kapala, a criminal who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh, was killed in an encounter on July 5, 2020, in Barabanki. Similar was the case with the gunning down of Bangladeshi gangster Hamza in an encounter in Gomtinagar, Lucknow on October 18, 2021.
    Months before, one Moti Singh, accused of murdering a police constable too was killed in a police encounter.
    On March 21, 2022, criminal Manish Singh, who was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh, was killed in an exchange of fire with the special task force in Varanasi. Singh was wanted in 32 cases.
     Following Thursday's encounter in Bahraich, opposition parties the Congress and the SP targeted the BJP government in the state as they questioned the veracity of the police action.
    Talking to reporters in Lucknow, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the style of working of the state police and accused the BJP government of "ruining" the force.
    He said, that whenever there is an investigation, action will be taken against the guilty policemen and they will go to jail.
    "This is a matter of a neighbouring district. You must know better than me that this incident (Bahraich violence) was staged," he said, pointing at the BJP without taking any names.
    Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI, "The authenticity of this encounter as those before this is suspected. These encounters appear to be mere face-saving acts aimed at diverting public attention."
    Reacting to the encounter, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given a clear message that those who disturb the state's law and order will be dealt with strictly.
    "Those directly or indirectly involved in the Bahraich violence and those who are conspiring to orchestrate riots will face strict action. Those who fire at police will face consequences. It will be better for those involved in the Bahraich incident to surrender before the police," he said.
    Shortly after the encounter, the SP took to social media citing "rampant crimes" in the state and questioned if "riots and encounters" were being staged to divert people's attention from law and order issues.