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Fake encounter: Victims' families
get Rs 1.6 million compensation

The National Human Rights Commission has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay a compensation of Rs 1.6 million to the families of four men killed in a "fake encounter" with the state police.

The complaint with the NHRC was filled by Panna Lal, the father of one of the four victims.

Four men were shot dead by the police near a petrol pump on Bhadoi Mirzapur road. One of the dead was identified by the police as Dhananjay Singh, a dreaded criminal carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.

However, investigations conducted by the NHRC found several inconsistencies in the cops' version of the events, following which the Superintendent of Police informed the commission that a magisterial inquiry was being conducted into the encounter.

The SP also submitted that the matter had been entrusted to the state Crime Branch, CID and a case had been registered against 36 persons, including 34 police officials.

"Material collected by the CB, CID clearly brought out the fact that the aforesaid encounter was entirely fake and that in fact four innocent persons had been brutally killed by the police after taking them out from a hotel in Bhadoi," the NHRC said.

"There was involvement of one DSP, one inspector, seven sub-inspectors and a number of police constables. Also, cases under the Arms Act registered against the deceased were false," the Commission said.

Since the state authorities had already initiated appropriate action, the NHRC did not consider it necessary to make any further directions in this regard, however in the context of providing "immediate interim relief" to the families of the four victims, it directed the UP government to pay Rs 400,000 each.

PTI

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