S-I’s killing raises questions on police preparedness

EYEWITNESSES TOLD POLICE OFFICERS THAT INSTEAD OF CHALLENGING THE CRIMINALS, POLICEMEN FLED, LEAVING THE INJURED KHAN BLEEDING PROFUSELY.

LUCKNOW: The killing of subinspector Akhtar Khan in an encounter with criminals in the Dadri area of Gautam Buddha Nagar district raises a question mark on the tactics adopted by the police in challenging armed criminals.

A 14-member police team led by Khan was sent to nab the dreaded criminals who were hiding at a house in Nai Abadi area of Dadri on Monday. Before the police could enter the house, the criminals opened indiscriminate fire on the police force, killing Khan on the spot.

Eyewitnesses told police officers that instead of challenging the criminals, policemen fled, leaving the injured Khan bleeding profusely. Later, he was taken to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Even as the state police have ordered an inquiry into the incident, the encounter has raised a question mark on the competence of the police force in challenging the might of the criminal gangs. The Gautam Buddha Nagar police officers overlooked the directive to be well equipped with modern weapons and bullet-proof jackets to take on criminals. The oversight resulted in the death of an efficient police officer, causing demoralisation in the ranks.

The police officers were aware that the criminal gang led by Javed was armed, yet the police team was not given bullet-proof jackets. The house in which Javed and other members of the gang were hiding was not surrounded from all directions, giving an escape route to the criminals.

While police team was not equipped with sophisticated weapons, the criminals fired with 9 mm pistols, forcing the police to retreat. A police officer who served in west UP said, “The policemen knew that criminal gangs in west UP are armed with sophisticated weapons and the cops should have carried weapons and gadgets to neutralise the gang.”

The officer also said, “During my posting in west UP, I was tipped off about the presence of dreaded criminals in a locality. I carried an AK-47 and other team members who were armed with sophisticated weapon as well. The criminals were incapacitated in an encounter,” he said.

Another officer said the state police had raised Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team to handle specialised criminal activities. The SWAT team should have been sent to take on the criminal gangs in Dadri.

Select state police jawans, who have undergone commando training, have been inducted into SWAT. The commandoes have been equipped with night vision device, GPS, grenade, laser dot aiming device, bullet proof jacket/ helmet, glok pistol, commando dagger, room breaker device to carry out the operations.

Talking to HT, ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Singh Chawdhary said superintendent of police, Gautam Buddha Nagar, had been directed to send a report.