India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of a right-wing strongman, has witnessed a dramatic increase in police shootouts resulting in deaths or injuries, marking a departure from previous modern administrations. This project delves into the unprecedented frequency of such shootouts, colloquially termed "police encounters."
The problem is exacerbated by the state's endorsement of encounters as an official policy, despite legal rulings discouraging such practices.
Through research, including analysis of over 2,000 pages of documents, post-mortem reports, forensic science reports, interviews with affected families, site visits, and expert testimonies, this project aims to shed light on the pervasive injustice and impunity within the state's law enforcement apparatus.
This investigation uncovers a systemic failure of India's criminal justice system and its Supreme Court to address potential extrajudicial killings effectively, perpetuating a cycle of violence and alienation among affected marginalized communities.
