By Almas Ahmad
“Tum log society ka kachra hai … main society ka jamadar”
(You people are the trash of the society…and I am the cleaner of the society)
“Tum logo ke bheje mein baat toh jaati nahi hai … sirf goli jaati hai”
(There is no talk that goes in your brain… only a bullet goes)
“Aadmi khatam … toh files khatam”
(Men die…then files close)
In case you haven’t figured already, the above dialogues are from the Bollywood movies “AbtakChhappan” and “Shootout at Lokhandwala”.
There are many incidents reported across the country as “encounters” and this is the only term which is being used very commonly and very normally by our policemen and our media houses as well. This “encounter culture” or “staged encounter” is being cherished and celebrated by the police officers in the name of maintaining law and order in the state.
If we look at the history of encounters; it started with the claiming gangsters and is now going somewhere else, reaching to the petty criminals and the normal citizen and overflowing many boundaries.
Nowadays if we examine the cases which are being reported as “encounter”, there is a long list, eye-catching among them are:
Police asked someone to stop and when they did not do so, they got killed or murdered and reported as “encounter”. And the very next day newspaper and police show these killings as an act of self-defense by the police. Because of this trigger friendly attitude of the police, India is struggling to maintain a good criminal justice index and lagging far behind. Even a small country like Nepal is ahead of us in the Justice index as showed by the different reports and commissions.
More encounters killings, more the chances of being promoted. Many policemen killed people cold bloodedly in the name of encounter and got easily promoted. Encounter killings are celebrated either openly or subtly in one way or the other. But despite this many of the police officers are facing trial before the commission.
An RTI query revealed that 1,782 cases of fake encounters were registered in India between 2000 and 2017, of which only 1,565 cases have been disposed off so far. According to data received from the NHRC, based on the complaints and intimations it received, Uttar Pradesh accounted for an alarming 44.55 percent (794 cases) of the cases registered across all states.
This data does not reveal the facts and figures of Jammu & Kashmir, Seven Sisters and other disturbed areas because their condition is even worse. Because of instability in these states, it is a struggle to get the right facts and figures.
Some films provide the disclaimer that says ‘this is a work of fiction and meant purely for entertainment, so do not try to copy’. But films are a significant source of influence, especially in India, given the larger-than-life role played by the Bollywood actors. Numerous studies have proven how the behaviour of characters we look up to on screen influence our own actions in real life. Many films show encounters to be essential in order keep the city ‘clean’ of crimes. And the officers behind the encounters are hailed as “Brave soldiers”, “Encounter Specialist”, “Super cops” and many other dignified names, thus glorifying encounter killing.
Films also show as the cop, who is generally the main protagonist to be getting the information/ tip regarding some alleged criminal from a source. So accordingly he makes the necessary preparations/ plans to build a perfect story in order to prove that he killed the criminal in self-defense. This story of ‘self-defense’ of the Bollywood movies has found its way in real life too.
Encounter Killings have become unfortunately a common practice to wipe out the terrorist outfits, local gangsters, and the easiest way to close the long pending criminal records and most commonly to avenge political rivalry.
A number of Bollywood movies made on these ‘decorated and glorified’ encounter specialists and their bravery often show them opening fire on handcuffed men which is again copied by real life cops. Bollywood has contributed a lot in normalizing the encounter culture by showcasing the role of police officers imbued with macho policeman carrying out their self-righteous brand of justice. These encounter killings are one of the reasons why the criminal justice system in India ranks 66, lower than Nepal.
The rule of law has rightly been argued to be part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The fundamental premise of the rule of law is that every human being, including the worst criminal, is entitled to basic human rights and due process. The police should not assume the role of investigator and judge. It is for the judiciary to intervene and deliver justice in order to prove that India is still the world’s largest democracy which is still governed by the Rule of Law.
As Cicero famously said, “We are in bondage to the law in order that we may be free.”
Almas ahmad is a student of Political Science in Aligarh Muslim University