JOIN USTwo encounters took place on the same day twice this year, one on September 26 and another on Saturday. The City witnessed three encounters in September alone. Six were gunned down, while another was injured in the encounters.
The top brass, who dream of a ‘Safe Bangalore’ have reportedly directed their subordinates to take a tough stand against those involved in heinous crimes. They have reportedly ordered their subordinates not to hesitate to use revolvers to put an end to nefarious activities without fear of consequences. A close look at how these encounters took place reveal the eagerness of the police to freely use their guns.
The top brass justify their stand for encounters. They say the culprits who were gunned down were all involved in many cases of brutal murders, attempts to murder, extortion, gang rapes and kidnap. They had made no effort to reform after being released from prison. Many were absconding and posed a threat to society. Moreover, police encountered them only after they injured the policemen and tried to abscond, they justified.
Asked about human rights violation in the encounters, they maintained that none can raise such questions considering the background of those killed. “What about those whom these criminals killed? Was it not human rights violation,” they ask.
The history of encounters unfolds in 1989 when Station Shekhar, an associate of don M P Jairaj, was gunned down. It had become a sensation as it was the first encounter in the State. The late 1990s saw major encounters with the encounter specialist from Mumbai, the late Vijay Salaskar gunning down three Mumbai gangsters on Cubbon Road.
The encounters reduced in number by 2000 to one or two in a year, but the graph shot up in 2008, peaking in the current year.
Some of the officers involved in encounters risking their lives include ACPs Ashok Kumar and Abdul Azeem, former ACPs G A Bava, B K Shivaram and inspector S K Umesh.
The slain
* 1989: Station Shekar shot dead in Banaswadi.
* 1994: Deadly Soma and his associate Basava shot dead near Ulsoor graveyard.
* 1999: Mumbai sharpshooter Eric D'Souza shot dead in High Grounds.
* 2002 : State and Tamil Nadu police kill five terrorists, including their ISI-trained leader Imam Ali in M S Ramaiah Layout.
* 2003: Sagayam shot dead at Annaiah Reddy Layout in Ramamurthynagar
* 2005, May 6 : Abdul Razack, a Chhota Rajan’s aide in Ashoknagar, killed.
* 2005, May 6: Nasru, involved in a series of kidnap-and-rape cases shot dead near Anekal.
* 2006, Dec 3: Shimoga Naga (31) shot dead near Hebbal Lake on the Ring Road
* 2009, April 6: Rowdy Parandama shot dead near Rayasandra KSRP grounds.
* 2009, Dec 20: Syed Wasim, Nasru’s brother shot dead at Bagalur.
* 2010, Dec 18: Pedda Gunda and Shankar alias Chandru shot dead.