Cops kill criminals, criminals kill cops

The killing of eight police personnel, including a DSP, in a reverse encounter by a criminal gang in Kanpur in UP illustrates not only the breakdown of law and order but of governance as such in the state. The police team, which had gone to arrest a notorious gangster, Vikas Dubey, who faces over 60 criminal charges including murder, extortion and kidnapping, was attacked and mowed down by the gang, and the gangster escaped. The gangster himself, who was charged with shooting a minister in a police station some years ago, symbolises many things that are wrong in the state. He has ruled by terror and threats for many years, and has friends in high places. The police personnel were ambushed because he was tipped off about the raid by someone in the police force. It has now been revealed that he had regular contact with over two dozen personnel in the force. Revelations made by a policeman after the encounter confirm this.

There is a nexus among politics, crime, police and the officialdom in all parts of the country. But it is deeper, stronger and more pervasive in UP than in any other state. Social and economic backwardness, the influence of caste and communal sentiments in society, and the failure of democratic institutions and processes to take hold are some reasons for the growth of such a nexus. It holds sway over the society and controls it, and is part of its entrenched culture now. Dubey is considered a hero by his caste people. Governments have been a part of this nexus. The present government of Yogi Adityanath has openly advocated a tough policy on crime which, in effect, means elimination of criminals and even suspected violators of the law without regard for the norms of law and justice. Many suspects have been killed in thousands of encounters in the last two years. When the police get sanction for summary execution of criminals, the due process of law suffers. Innocent persons also get killed and no one is held accountable for that. The result is all-round lawlessness and anarchy.

Governance takes a backseat in such an anarchic situation where laws do not guide and regulate the conduct and interactions of members of the government, officials, citizens and other elements of society, including criminals. Reacting to the policemen's killing, the administration destroyed the gangster’s house. No law allows for the destruction of a criminal’s house. It is when such illegalities and encounter killings become normal actions that governance becomes dysfunctional. The police kill criminals, the criminals kill the police, and the people are caught in between.