No need of encounter specialists in police, says former UP Police DG

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of a huge controversy over "encounter specialists" in the police, senior IPS officer and former director-general of Uttar Pradesh police Prakash Singh told ETV Bharat on Saturday that there is no need for such specialists in the force.

Following the recovery of a Scorpio car loaded with explosives in front of Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai and the subsequent arrest of a police officer Sachin Waze (an encounter specialist) in the entire episode, questions have been raised on the sincerity and integrity of such specialists.

"We don't need encounter specialists but we want brave and daring officers. If somebody says that an officer has killed 64 people, I would rather say 50 people have been killed in cold blood and 10 or 14 may be killed in genuine encounters," said Singh.

He was referring to Sachin Waze, who is believed to have killed 64 criminals in the encounter and got the fame of an encounter specialist.

"You see the problem with such specialist is that once you give them the latitude, you don't know when they will cross the line and start misusing their authority and power and start blackmailing people for money and threatening them with encounter," said Singh, adding that it's a tricky business which must not be encouraged.

Waze who is allegedly involved in placing the explosive loaded car in front of Antilia and killing of a businessman, Mansukh Hiren, reportedly killed 64 so-called criminals between 1997 and 2004, when he was nailed by the state police for the custodial death of a suspect in Ghatkopar bomb blast incident of 2002.

Waze, an assistant sub-inspector had been reinstated in the force in 2020 after spending several years on suspension.

"It's a very sordid incident and it reflects very adversely on the Mumbai police. This is something that the state government has also acknowledged that the state police has defaulted on certain aspects," said Singh.

The whole incident raised several unanswered questions. "I believe the NIA investigation would reveal all factors," Singh said.

Referring to Waze, Singh said the motive of Sachin Waze in placing the gelatin loaded SUV in front of India's leading industrialist's residence is unclear. "Was he trying to fabricate a high profile case, and if he was trying to do that under whose instance?" quipped Singh.

Singh also raised his suspicion of the involvement of other senior officers and politicians behind the incident.

"Being an ASI, he is a very junior officer. and if he is involved in such an activity, it's obvious that some senior officers must have asked him to do that. Who were those senior officers? Whether the police commissioner was aware of this or not...there are several questions that need to be answered," Singh said.

He said that the incident must have some political connections. "This is for sure that the police officer would not have done this unless there is a political connection. Thus this has exposed the nexus between police and politicians," said the IPS officer.

It may be mentioned here that after resigning from the police force in 2008, Waze joined Shiv Sena and allegedly used the political patronage to cover his other activities.

Singh recalled that when he was the DG in UP police, he did not encourage the "encounter specialists culture."

"During my tenure, there was no such encounter specialists. Yes there were instances of fictitious encounters...before I took over the charge of DGP, there was a sensational incident at Pilibhit where some people were loaded from a bus and killed, which was later termed as take encounter," said Singh.

As many as 47 police personnel awarded with life sentences for shooting 10 Sikh pilgrims branding them as militants in 1991.