Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday (October 1) defended the state police after the Supreme Court’s strong criticism of the handling of a first information report (FIR) and took a swipe at those who criticise the force from behind the protection of official security.
Yogi’s comments followed the apex court’s criticism that came during the hearing of a criminal case involving a motorcycle rider accused of harassment. The name was later disclosed in the police affidavit. The complainant also alleged that the investigation was one-sided and that the accused was later given a clean chit. “Why did you write unknown if the person was caught at the spot? How will people trust the police?” the court asked. And this kind of cover-up job? The court has sought an explanation from the UP Police on why the accused’s name was left out of the FIR initially and directed the concerned officer to appear at the next hearing. The criticism gave Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav an ammunition against the Yogi government, as he seized on the court’s words to target the UP Police and the state government. The police event was not limited to the political exchange over the Supreme Court’s observations.
Yogi also flagged off 87 high-tech interceptor vehicles for the state police.
Speaking at a police medal ceremony at Lok Bhavan in Lucknow, the chief minister said it was easy to sit in a secure room and make comments about others. He said a person’s sense of confidence could change when that security was removed. The complainant told the court that she had caught the rider at the spot and handed him over to the police. However, the FIR was registered against an “unknown” person, with the accused’s name left blank. The bench also said, “Toeing the line is one thing but bending over backwards. Less said the better.
