After back-to-back encounters of ‘criminals’ rocked Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq on Tuesday (September 24) alleged that people from the Muslim, Yadav and OBC communities are being targetted by the Yogi Adityanath-led state government and the encounters are being carried out based on their castes. This comes after two ‘criminals’ were gunned down in separate encounters on Monday and Tuesday – one in Unnao and the other in Ghazipur.
Anuj Pratap Singh, accused in the Sultanpur jewellery store robbery case, was gunned down in Unnao on Monday. Mangesh Yadav, another accused in the case, was killed on September 5 in an encounter. Mohammad Zahid, accused in the murder of two RPF personnel last month, was killed in the gunfight in Ghazipur on Tuesday, marking two back-to-back encounter killings of the accused.
The killings sparked a political controversy with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress calling the encounter "fake".
“Muslims, Yadavs, and OBCs are being targeted under the BJP government. Encounters are being done based on their castes and religion. When the Samajwadi Party government comes, action will be taken against the police officers involved in the fake encounters,” SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq said.
What is Sultanpur jewellery store robbery case?
On August 28, jewellery worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore was stolen from Bharat Jewellers in Thatheri market of Sultanpur city in the Achalganj police station area. Sultanpur Superintendent of Police Somen Barma said that during the investigation of the robbery case, the names of 14 accused came to light, out of which police have taken action against 11. "One of these 11 accused was Anuj Pratap Singh, who died today in an encounter with the STF in Unnao district. Singh was one of the five accused who carried out the robbery by entering the jewellery shop," he said earlier.
What is RPF personnel murder case?
Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables Javed Khan and Pramod Kumar were killed in the intervening night of August 19 and 20 when they were trying to stop the smuggling bid of illegal liquor in the Barmer Guwahati Express (train number 15631), the police said. The liquor smugglers allegedly brutally beat up both the constables and threw them off the moving train, which led to their deaths, he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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