Why is the Yogi Government shying away from holding a CBI probe into the recent spate of encounters by Uttar Pradesh Police, which it claims has helped in controlling crime and restoring law and order in the state? If the people killed are genuinely criminals who were carrying a prize on their head, the Government should not blink an eyelid before accepting the directive of the Chairman of the Legislative Council to opt for a CBI probe into the encounters.

During the proceedings of the Upper House, Chairman of the Legislative Council Ramesh Yadav directed the government to conduct a probe into an alleged 'encounter’ in Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida), in which gym trainer Jitendra Yadav was critically injured while two criminals were killed in separate encounters. The Opposition said that these encounters were fake and carried out to give an impression that UP Police is tough on criminals.

Yadav directed the government to conduct a CBI probe into the encounters of Jitendra at Noida, along with that of Sumit Gujjar aka Dumber and Shiv Kumar Yadav also at Noida. “The Government should hand over the case to the CBI,” he said, in a terse message.

A senior minister Mahendra Singh said that CBI probe is not required as Uttar Pradesh Government has already ordered a magisterial probe. If something is wrong in these encounters it will come to light in these probes. “In this scenario CBI probe is not required,” the minister told this reporter.