‘Day in and day out… police fire one shot and an accused is hit on the knee or below’: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an encounter where a 36-year-old rape accused was allegedly shot in the legs last May in Uttar Pradesh's Shravasti district. According to the court, police officers who were in the encounter fired one shot and the accused was hit on his knee or below it.

The court expressed concerns over several discrepancies in the police's version of events, including the presence of 13 people in a single police vehicle and the accuracy of the police shooter's claims. The court directed the CBI to complete the investigation within three months and scheduled the next hearing for November 23. The accused, who has a history of sexual assault cases, was previously acquitted by the Supreme Court after serving 12 years in jail for the rape-murder of a child.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl in October 2025, following his capture during the encounter. The court expressed doubts about the police's handling of the case and directed the trial court to pass a fresh order on the convicted individual's discharge application.