Lucknow: In one of the most intense anti-crime crackdowns this year, the Uttar Pradesh Police carried out 20 encounters across several districts within just 48 hours. The sweeping action, part of “Operation Langda” and “Operation Khallas,” followed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive to maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward organized crime.
The operations unfolded in last 48 hours with police teams simultaneously targeting wanted criminals in districts including Bulandshahr, Shamli, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Hapur, and Meerut. According to senior police officials, the campaign was coordinated at the state level and focused on gangsters with prior records of extortion, murder, and robbery.
In Bulandshahr, three criminals carrying cash rewards on their heads were arrested after a brief gunfight. Shamli district witnessed four encounters in separate locations, leading to the arrest of six suspects linked to active gangs. Kanpur reported two shootouts within city limits, while Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, and Meerut each reported at least one confrontation between police and armed suspects.
The most dramatic exchange took place in the Naglakhepad Jungle area late Sunday night, when a Special Task Force team surrounded gangster Inderpal, wanted in more than 30 criminal cases. The encounter ended after an hour-long gun battle in which Inderpal was killed. Police said his death marked a major blow to organized criminal networks in western Uttar Pradesh.
In Gorakhpur, tension rose on Monday afternoon when two suspects attempted to flee after allegedly threatening a village head. A chase led to an armed standoff that left two policemen injured before both accused were overpowered. The injured officers were admitted to a local hospital, while the suspects remain in custody under tight security.
Police officials stated that the ongoing crackdown is part of a larger eight-year campaign that has seen more than 14,000 encounters across the state, resulting in the deaths of 239 criminals and injuries to over 9,400.
While the operation has been lauded by the government for restoring a sense of safety in several districts, human rights groups have raised concerns over the frequency and intensity of such police actions. Senior officers, however, defended the encounters, insisting that criminals who choose to attack law enforcement will face strict consequences.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reiterated his government’s stance on Monday, asserting that Uttar Pradesh will not provide safe haven to any criminal. “Lawbreakers will be dealt with firmly. Those who pick up weapons against the law will face the police response they deserve,” he said.
The coordinated operations, spanning from western to eastern Uttar Pradesh, underline the state’s aggressive approach to crime control — an approach that continues to define its policing model under the Yogi Adityanath administration.
