UP Police to serve legal notice to Amnesty India over misinformation about ‘encounter killings’

On Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Police pulled up human rights body Amnesty India after the latter tweeted that 900 people had been ‘killed in police encounters in UP between March 2017 and Jan 2018’.

UP Police  wrote on Twitter: “Dear @AIIndia we beg ur pardon but there’s a major human error in ur numbers, unless U have redefined D injured & dead as alike! With due respect to the 37 dead V request you to respect the ones alive & Not declare them dead! We’ll make sure our legal notice is better researched.”

Reacting to their gaffe, Amnesty India put up a tweet owning up to their mistakes. They wrote: “Correction: An earlier tweet incorrectly stated that over 900 people had been killed in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh between March 2017 and January 2018. The figure actually referred to both deaths and injuries.

Dear @AIIndia we beg ur pardon but there’s a major human error in ur numbers, unless U have redefined D injured & dead as alike! With due respect to the 37 dead V request you to respect the ones alive & Not declare them dead! We’ll make sure our legal notice is better researched https://t.co/Wi6wnr2u8w

— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) February 6, 2018

Correction: An earlier tweet incorrectly stated that over 900 people had been killed in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh between March 2017 and January 2018. The figure actually referred to both deaths and injuries.

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 6, 2018

Over 900 people have been killed or injured in police encounters in UP between March 2017 and Jan 2018. The National Human Rights Commission says UP police are "misusing their power in the light of an undeclared endorsement given by the higher ups". https://t.co/sVgxLyuQj2

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 6, 2018

Here's how Twitter reacted:

Jab prasad* lagega batne,
Toh G lagegi phatne!

*Police ki laatthi pic.twitter.com/svVzSPHC9d

— AristocRatty (@YearOfRat) February 6, 2018

well played. and well crafted tweet ...
(countering fake claims with a legal notice is not violation of FoE - #justsaying) https://t.co/RZk1BapUJi

— Harini Calamur (@calamur) February 6, 2018

Hey why don't u send 2-3 of your senior managers dressed as dacoits to UP and inform us the nuance and "how is it to live life of a dacoit".. Pls we want to know their side of the story too. Thanks. 

— Ashu (@muglikar_) February 6, 2018

bang....... take them to court https://t.co/TCpszpB0Ut

— mukul (@MukulAgarwal66) February 6, 2018

Yogi ji has indeed given UP Police a freehand in his bid to make the state Crime free. https://t.co/iyBS1CKvl3

— PS  (@ParinSays) February 6, 2018

The 'whistle podu' reply  https://t.co/EfSTevmMRC

— venkat (@kvenkatvijay) February 6, 2018

The last sentence ! https://t.co/QLuzje087N

— Hetal Rach (@heytal) February 6, 2018

The Amnesty India notice comes after NHRC said that over 900 people have been killed or injured in police encounters in UP between March 2017 and Jan 2018. The National Human Rights Commission says UP police are "misusing their power in the light of an undeclared endorsement given by the higher ups".

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged fake encounter in Noida.

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that a 25-year-old man was shot in NOIDA by Sub-Inspector of Uttar Pradesh police during the night of the February 3, telling his colleague that the encounter would earn him an out of turn promotion. However, reportedly, the Noida police denied receiving any message of an encounter.

‘It seems that the police personnel in the State of Uttar Pradesh are feeling free, misusing their power in the light of an undeclared endorsement given by the higher ups. They are using their privileges to settle scores with the people,’ the NHRC said.

It added, ‘The police force is to protect the people, these kinds of incidents would send a wrong message to the society. Creating an atmosphere of fear is not the correct way to deal with the crime. In this particular case, the injured man is not an offender. He was travelling with his friends when the rowdy act done by the delinquent SI has gravely violated his right to life and liberty.’

Accordingly, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to look into the emerging scenario, personally and to take appropriate action to sensitize the police personnel not to abuse their power to harass the innocent citizens. A detailed report in the matter from both of them is expected within six weeks, positively.

With inputs from ANI