The Jeeva killing a few days ago when he was shot dead outside a courtroom in the capital city of Lucknow is shocking to say the least.
Jeeva was an associate of don Mukhtar Ansari. This follows a number of killings of criminals in shoot-outs across Uttar Pradesh over the last few months that are suspected to be encounter killings.
Notable among these were the killings of Atique Ahmed & his brother, 2 notorious gangsters on a public street in April 2023. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cannot preen and claim that UP will be free of dons and gangsters soon.
This implies a permissive attitude and an open licence to the police to kill criminals. This cannot happen in a democracy where even criminals have rights and punishment to them has to be given through the judicial system not through the barrel of a gun.
