NEW DELHI: The UP police Monday defended the “encounters” in which 10 “pilgrims” were killed in Pilibhit during the next of July 12-13.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court the additional superintendent of police of Pilibhit district Vijendra Sharma said it was “incorrect and erroneous to say that anybody is massacred in any fake encounters for any citizen or member of any community is being hounded out of the district”.
A two-judge bench cop rising the chief justice Ranganath Misra and Justice P.B. Sawant would consider the affidavit on Friday. The affidavit was filed in reply to notices issued by the court on a writ petition by a lawyer R.S.Sodhi seeking protection for the members of the Sikh community in Pilibhit and judicial inquiry into the fake encounter in which 10 innocent were murdered by the police.
S T E R N PUNISHMENT: Sodhi’s petition which also seeks adequate compensation for the families of the victims and stern punishment for the guilty police officers is based on a news report published in The Times of India on July 18.
Referring to the news report the police officer said in the affidavit that “the news report is simply based on hearsay information which is politically motivated.” The police officer also
accused “rival opponents” of spreading these rumours which he said aimed at maligning the image of the administration.”
Article extracted from this publication >> August 9, 1991
