UP police pats its own back, says criminals scared of crime, not cops

Lucknow: Lauding itself and patting its own back for the recent encounters, Uttar Pradesh Police Department on Friday tweeted media reports on offenders surrendering themselves to the police - with a famous dialogue from Salman Khan starrer Bollywood film 'Dabaang' - “Police se nahi, crime se darr lagta hai sahab (I am scared of crime and not the police),” the tweet read. 

This comes after two criminals, both repeat offenders, were seen carrying placards in Uttar Pradesh's Kairana town apologising for their behaviour and promising they would not get involved in any crime hereafter.

“Main aage bhavishya mein koi apraadh nahi karunga aur mehnat majdoori karke apna aur apne parivaar ka bharan-poshan karunga (I will not get involved in any crime in future and will work hard to take care of my family and myself),” read one of the placards. 

Also Read: Sorry for crime: Repeat offenders in UP parade with placards pledging 'honesty'

Another report mentioned by the UP police in the tweet was that of an alleged criminal surrendering himself to claim the bounty of Rs 15,000 on himself.

The move comes after the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh began a major crackdown against criminals, with an increase in the number of encounters.

Uttar Pradesh saw 38 encounter killings by the state police in the just over ten months since the Yogi Adityanath-led government assumed charge.

In 25 days, there were 8 killings in 60 encounters earlier this year, mostly in Lucknow, Shamli, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Gorakhpur, Hapur, Kanpur and Meerut.

On November 22, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over 19 encounters in six months. Opposition members too have raised the issue in Assembly and in Parliament.

On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informed the state Legislative Council that 40 criminals have been killed in 1,200 encounters in the state so far adding that sympathy for criminals was dangerous for a democracy. 

Earlier, Adityanath had also said that criminals in the state should be answered in a language they understood. Those who believe in gun, should be answered back using the gun, he said at an event in Gorakhpur.