8 years of Yogi govt: 222 dreaded criminals killed, 8118 injured in police encounters

Since 2017, Adityanath's government neutralized 222 criminals, arrested 20,221 wanted, and seized illegal assets worth ₹142 billion, enhancing state security.

Since assuming office in March 2017, chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration carried out a crackdown on criminals and the mafia resulting into total 222 dreaded criminals neutralized in police encounters and 8,118 criminals injured in operations.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.(Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

Also, 20,221 wanted criminals with bounties were arrested while 79,984 criminals were booked under the Gangster Act as well as 930 offenders were charged under the National Security Act (NSA), and illegal assets worth ₹142 billion 46 crore 18 lakh confiscated or demolished, claimed a press note from the CM media cell.

The press note stated that the CM turned the impossible into reality—establishing a governance model where every resident feels secure, knowing that justice will be swift and uncompromising. By reclaiming illegally occupied properties and dismantling the criminal empire, the state government has ensured that Uttar Pradesh is no longer a haven for crime but a beacon of security and justice, it further stated.

In the press communique, UP director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar reported that from March 2017 to December 2024, the government successfully prosecuted 68 identified mafia criminals, leading to life imprisonment or severe sentencing for 31 mafias and 74 co-criminals in 73 cases. Notably, two criminals were awarded death penalty. As many as 795 cases were registered against 68 identified mafias and 1,408 associates of their gangs in the state out of which 617 have been arrested. Apart from this, the arms licenses of 359 criminals were cancelled, and action was taken against 18 criminals under the NSA.

Around 752 criminals were punished under the Gangster Act, while illegal property worth more than ₹4,076 crore was seized. The state government has also taken a tough stand on crime against women and minors. So far, the culprits have been punished in 27,425 cases, 11,254 cases of the POCSO Act and 3,775 cases of dowry deaths.

Between July 2023 and December 2024, the Yogi government’s Operation Conviction led to 51 accused being awarded the death penalty, 6,287 criminals being awarded life imprisonment with 1,091 criminals sentenced to more than 20 years, 3,868 criminals sentenced to 10 to 19 years and 5,788 accused sentenced to less than 5 years of imprisonment.

The government freed more than 66,000 hectares of land from illegal occupation by forming a four-tier anti-land mafia task force. One hundred forty-two land mafias were identified, and legal action was taken against them.

Since 2017, the Special Task Force (STF) has prevented 653 heinous crimes before they could happen.

Meanwhile, the ATS has arrested 130 terrorists and 171 Rohingya/Bangladeshi criminals and their associates since 2017.