The UPShot | The Yogi government’s commitment to law and order is seen in its handling of the Budaun situation

Lucknow: In the recent history of Uttar Pradesh, an accused person has willingly turned himself in to the police in the Budaun double murder case. It comes after other such incidents when offenders turn themselves in to the authorities and promise not to commit crimes again.

Javed, the brother of 22-year-old Sajid, who is suspected of killing two little boys by hacking them at his Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, house, turned himself in the day after his brother was slain in an altercation three hours after the murder. Javed asserts that he was unaware of his brother’s plans and that he was not a part of the crime.

Javed is allegedly heard stating on a video, “I ran straight to Delhi after learning over the phone that Sajid had committed a murder, and from there I returned to Bareilly to surrender.” He’s been placed in judicial detention for 14 days.

On Tuesday night, Sajid, the owner of a barbershop in Baba Colony, reportedly used a knife to assault Ayush, 16, Ahaan, also known as Honey, 8, and Piyush, 10. He broke into the home of the family who resided across from his business. Yuvraj was able to flee but Ayush and Ahaan perished instantly. Sajid was shot and killed by police in an altercation a few hours after the event. Sajid and Javed have been charged with murder under Indian Penal Code Section 302.

The incident raised tensions in the community, and Sajid’s business was set on fire by enraged people. But when police moved to calm the populace and began a search for the brothers, further intercommunal bloodshed was avoided.

“I appreciate the UP Police’s prompt response. I want this looked into thoroughly. Why did my children have to be murdered? Vinod Singh, the father of Ayush and Aahaan, stated, “I implore Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter.”

The Yogi Adityanath government’s dedication to upholding law and order in the state is shown by the prompt measures taken by the police to contain the situation in Budaun.

The Chief Minister said, “There is no curfew or riot in UP today,” while on his Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Bijnor. In his speech, Adityanath said that security is the primary indicator of growth and restated his government’s efforts to reduce crime and apprehend offenders across the state in accordance with the zero tolerance policy.

Political commentators see Yogi Adityanath’s zero tolerance approach to crime as a characteristic that distinguishes his administration from others.

Although the Yogi Adityanath administration’s zero tolerance attitude for crime and criminality has undoubtedly set a standard, the Mayawati government was also renowned for maintaining law and order. Whether it was in the Bikru Kand case in Kanpur, the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj, or the most recent Deoria murders, the government’s prompt and stringent response was essential to preserving peace and order. Perhaps for this reason, the Yogi Adityanath administration in Uttar Pradesh has an advantage over earlier ones, according to Shashikant Pandey, a political analyst and the chairman of the department of political science at Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow.

DEORIA DEATHS
One of the most recent cases in which the Yogi Adityanath government’s prompt response was evident was the Deoria murders case. Six individuals were slain over a property dispute in Fatehpur village of Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district in October 2023, prompting the UP Chief Minister to order the suspension of fifteen officials, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer and Deputy District Magistrate.

Among the authorities facing action in this matter were the Sub-District Magistrate, the Circle Officer (Deputy SP), two tehsildars, three accountants, one head constable, four constables, two beat in-charges, and one station house officer.

The Chief Minister ordered departmental action against the two tehsildars and the Circle Officer in addition to suspending them.

Prem Chandra Yadav, a district panchayat member, was killed by beating on October 2, 2023, due to a property dispute. Yadav’s followers then lynched Satya Prakash Dubey, a member of a competing faction. In addition, his wife, two children, and son were all slain. Following the event, the district administration posted a notice on Yadav’s home informing him that part of the construction was unlawful since it was on agricultural property and would be destroyed. The police also made more than twenty arrests at this time. Yadav was also fined Rs 32,000 for trespassing on government property.

CASE OF UMESH PAL MURDER
On February 24, 2023, in the middle of the day, Umesh Pal—a key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal—was reportedly shot and killed by members of the Atiq Ahmed gang while traveling to Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj neighborhood for a court hearing related to the case. Following Umesh Pal’s shooting, the CCTV tape showing Asad, Atiq’s son, firing went viral.

On April 14, 2023, Asad Ahmed and his assistant Ghulam—who was also included in the FIR and sought in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal—were murdered in a shootout with UP STF in Jhansi. They each had bounties of Rs 5 lakh.

In the murder case of Umesh Pal, 11 people have been taken into custody by the police so far. Umar and Ali, Atiq’s sons, are incarcerated as well. While being held by the police, Atiq Ahmad and his brother, Khalid Azeem, also known as Ashraf, were killed. Six of the accused are still at large, while four were murdered in a shootout with the police.

BIKRU KAND OF KANPUR
Another instance of the state government taking harsh punishment against the offenders occurred at Bikru Kand, Kanpur. On July 3, 2020, eight police officers—including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP)—were slain and seven others were wounded during an effort to apprehend criminal Vikas Dubey and his gang. In the firefight, Dubey’s maternal uncle was one of the two shooters who died.

An autopsy found that DSP Devendra Mishra had been brutally attacked with an axe and decapitated, while several gunshot wounds from various weapons indicated that additional police officers had been ambushed. Later, the cops found other firearms, including an INSAS rifle and an AK-47.

Dubey was slain in an encounter on the morning of July 10 as he reportedly attempted to flee from the scene in the Bhauti region of Sachendi after a police van transporting him from Ujjain to Kanpur had an accident.

Five of Dubey’s suspected friends were slain in separate incidents prior to his meeting, while 45 others—two police officers and four women—were detained and sent to prison. Furthermore, a bulldozer was used by the Kanpur government to destroy Dubey’s residence.