Sultanpur row: UP DGP junks allegations of caste-based encounters

LUCKNOW UP director general of police Prashant Kumar, on Monday, denied allegations of caste-based encounters amid questions being raised on the encounter of Mangesh Yadav, one of the accused in the ₹1.5-crore robbery at a jewellery store in Sultanpur on August 28.
“The police do not engage in such things…they are taking action impartially,” said the DGP speaking to media at the inauguration of the All India Police Wrestling Cluster organised by SSB in Lucknow.
The statement comes in wake of ex-IPS officer Amitabh Thakur alleging that the leader of the encounter team DK Shahi was wearing slippers during the alleged encounter of Mangesh Yadav, a wanted criminal allegedly involved in the jewellery store robbery.
“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.
There was also a war of words between chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over the Sultanpur encounter with the former stating on Sunday that the SP was upset because a dacoit was killed in a police encounter.
Earlier, on Saturday evening, Congress MP from Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi, had also raised concerns over the encounter of Mangesh Yadav, alleging that there was no rule of law in BJP-ruled states.
The UP police stated that seven cases were registered in Mangesh’s name in different police stations, including three in Jaunpur, three in Sultanpur and one in Pratapgarh.