Encounter every two days: Punjab cops go metal jacked against criminals

Encounters with criminals, particularly gangsters, have become alarmingly frequent in Punjab. According to data compiled by The Tribune, as many as 41 police encounters took place between January and March 31 this year — a sharp increase compared to the 64 recorded in all of 2024.

Recent casualties

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March 16: Bishamberjit Singh, a murder accused, was killed in an exchange of fire at Sheribagha village in Beas, Amritsar

March 13: A kidnapper, Jaspreet Singh, was shot dead near Nabha in Patiala. Two cops also sustained injuries

So far, no victim’s family has publicly questioned these encounters or alleged that these were staged. The high frequency -- nearly one encounter every two days -- suggests that the police may have tacit approval from top officials and the state government.

In two recent cases, a murder accused in Amritsar and a kidnapper in Patiala were killed in police gunfire. Additionally, around 45 criminals, including gangsters, drug smugglers and murderers, sustained bullet injuries in their legs during confrontations.

While these incidents highlight the Punjab Police’s aggressive stance against crime, they have also raised concerns about potential misuse of power. The “intoxication” of encounter authority appears to have led to excesses, such as the assault on an Army Colonel and his son by nearly 12 policemen in Patiala last month.

The policemen involved had just successfully rescued a seven-year-old boy from Khanna’s Seehan Daud village after an encounter with kidnapper Jaspreet Singh on the Patiala-Nabha road. However, an argument over vehicle parking escalated into violence, tarnishing their earlier heroism and jeopardising their prospects of promotions and awards.

When asked about the ringing number of encounters, DGP Gaurav Yadav said, “The police have no policy to inflict bodily harm on criminals during operations. However, retaliatory fire becomes necessary when armed suspects shoot at the police. In all recent encounters, criminals fired first. Still, our teams exercised restraint, targeting only the legs to minimise fatalities.”

Human rights activist Navkiran Singh, however, warned against unchecked encounter powers. “Extraordinary authority turns individuals into law unto themselves. Punjab has a history of fake encounters. The power to kill becomes intoxicating — a dangerous trend that undermines the rule of law. I fear innocent persons may be harmed if this trend remains unchecked,” he said.

Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon, who has been supporting Col PS Bath’s family, remarked, “While the Army and police have collaborated on operations, I have rarely come across an instance where the police indulged in a physical assault like the one happened in Patiala. I won’t comment on encounters, but attacking an officer or civilian is utterly unbecoming of the police.”

(With inputs by PK Jaiswar, Avneet Kaur, Aparna Banerjee, Nikhil Bhardawaj, Balwant Garg, Sushil Goyal, Sukhmeet Bhasin and Aman Sood)