The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday shot dead two suspected criminals under full media glare in Aligarh district, IANS reported. Reports said that journalists were “formally invited” and allowed to film the encounter.

The suspects, identified as Naushad and Mustakeem, were accused of murdering six persons, including two Hindu priests. Five others were also arrested earlier for their involvement in the six murders.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Aligarh) Ajay Sahni told IANS said the criminals, who were passing through a police checkpoint on a bike, tried to escape when they were asked to stop. The criminals fired at the police, who then retaliated and it resulted in an encounter, the officer said.

“These two criminals were changing their locations after committing crimes in Atrauli, Harduaganj, and Pali Mukeempur and were involved in many murders,” Superintendent of Police (rural) Manilal Patidar told the Hindustan Times. “They had robbed a man of his motorbike last night in Aligarh.”

However, the police officer has denied reports that the media was invited. “The encounter continued for about one and half hour and local media reached and might have filmed from a distance whatever they could visualise,” Patidar said.

Sixty-six criminals and four policemen have been killed in alleged encounters since the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in March 2017. The National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court issued notices to the state government earlier this year.

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