SC issues notice to Centre, states on fake encounter probe plea

The Supreme Court today sought the stand of Centre and all state governments on a plea for independent probe into all cases of alleged killings by police in staged shootouts in past 10 years in the country.

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the stand of Centre and all state governments on a plea for independent probe into all cases of alleged killings by police in staged shootouts in past 10 years in the country.

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A bench comprising justice Aftab Alam and justice Ranjana Prakash Desai sought replies of the Union and the state governments, issuing them notices on a petition filed by the Gujarat government, which sought court's direction to deal with all cases of fake encounters in a uniform manner.

The Gujarat government alleged that some vested interest groups are selectively targetting its police force over the encounter killings.

The petition said the Gujarat government is seeking "an appropriate direction from this court to deal with all cases of fake encounters in the country in an uniform manner which would ensure that while human rights are protected, police force of terrorism-prone Gujarat is not left demoralised on the ground that some vested interest groups are selectively targetting the police force of only one state."

It said such a step is necessary so as to ensure that on one hand extra-judicial killings under the garb of fake encounters would stop, and the honest police officers, discharging their duties against terrorist organisations /organised criminals too are not left demoralised and working under the threat of possibility of motivated allegations against them.

The monitoring authority should further be directed to place its p1robe report before the apex court, the petition said.