I’m Shocked to see so many people support Fake Encounters in India

Yesterday, the Supreme Court observed that cops involved in fake encounter cases should be hanged. For those new to the term, a “fake encounter” is one where the police murder a suspect in custody by staging his escape and a subsequent “gun battle.” It’s a crime that is far worse than mere murder. This is culpable homicide by those who are charged with preserving the law.

Fake Encounters in India are a disgrace
Fake Encounters in India are a disgrace

I won’t go into the argument about whether or not the death penalty is valid. My point is that after reading about this article in the TOI, the comments that followed showed an overwhelming support for these extra judicial killings by the police. I’m unable to understand this. It seems that people are beginning to support the breakdown of law and order even further.

The average Internet Indian it seems is a bloodthirsty fellow. When we read about a crime in the papers, comments follow demanding that person’s execution or torture. There doesn’t appear to be any desire to follow a proper procedure of law to determine whether in fact a person is really guilty or not. Everyone thinks that if a person is behind bars, they are automatically responsible for the crime.

Take Kasab for example. Personally I feel that Kasab is far more valuable to India alive than dead. He’s a bargaining chip. He’s the face of terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Keep him alive for as long as possible I say. Killing him will yield nothing useful to India. But everyone else seems to want to bypass the judicial process and hang him on the road.

I’m also disturbed by the willingness of people to give so much power to the police and the government. What have they done to deserve such power? Have they shown us they can handle it responsibly? No. If “fake encounters” are so acceptable, then why not just change the law to do it openly? Just say that whoever is arrested is to be killed off as soon as possible (after some appropriate torturing of course!)

One reason perhaps is that we don’t view criminals as individuals with rights. Just because someone is accused of committing a crime doesn’t mean they lose the right to a fair trial. Even if they’re found guilty they still have the right to be treated in accordance with the law. No one can be just bumped off like that just cause “he deserved it.”

If the public support “fake encounters,” don’t they see that this merely makes policemen feel the law is something which they need not take into consideration? Tomorrow when you yourself are in jail for something you didn’t do, they will torture you and others will say you deserved it. The law is there for a reason. In our frustration with the tortuous Indian legal system, let’s not forget that we’re supposed to be better than the criminals. We can’t sink down to their level.

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9 thoughts on “I’m Shocked to see so many people support Fake Encounters in India”

  1. People (specially non-poor) have in general not being at the receiving end of the Police Abuse (not the traffic fine without receipt kind)
    It is because of seeing the police as “Black and White” (mostly white) Utopians, rather then Humans who will be corrupted by power.
    Also the fear that if law takes it course it will mean on most occasions that the person will get away

    Reply

    • In reply to Khalil Sawant

      It’s funny because most people I know actually fear the police and don’t trust them. I’ve faced this first hand when I was in college and I saw how everyone views them. Whenever they have dealings with the police, they never think “Oh, these guys are here to help”, but rather “How are they going to try and screw me?”

      Split personality perhaps?

      Reply

  2. I think most of us dont really know what the term ‘ Fake Encounter ” means and i am therefor pleased that you chose to begin this post by defining it. By this definition its a most horrendous crime and the severest punishment should be meted out to the perpetrators.
    I think that many mistakengly associate the term ‘ fake encounter ‘ with an attempt by police or the military to combat terrorists, when unintentionally an innocent person may be killed. Severe punishment in such cases would be a deterrent to these guardians of peace to carry out their duties without fear of retribution

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  3. “we don’t view criminals as individuals with rights”

    That’s the key. A feudal society where the ruler is supposed to have rights and not us, the people. We live at the mercy of rulers.

    Things are changing with better education. However, unless people internalise their rights and liberties, our rulers will get away with murder.

    Btw this is not just an Indian phenomenon. Germany READILY participated in Hitler’s attacks on the people. And overall, in the 20th century, governments across the world killed TWO of their own citizens for every ONE person killed in war.

    This also points to a key underlying phenomenon: human nature. People have a blood lust for those they consider to be “bad”.

    Reply

    • In reply to Sanjeev Sabhlok

      Our very mindset is reflected in our language. We still talk about the “ruling” party and not the governing party. We still talk about ourselves as being the slaves and the “rulers” having all the power over us.

      When will we realize that the so called “rulers” are the servants?

      And that’s a great point about governments killing two of their own citizens for each one killed in wars. Didn’t know that! Where did you get that stat from?

      Reply

  4. I agree with those above that those who support ‘fake encounters’, torture by the police etc. don’t realise that this system encompasses them too, that one day it could be them or their family members who are caught up in the system.

    For most people living in this coccoon of self-denial, this police brutality serves a purpose because it keeps their streets safe, they think. In Bombay, these encounter squads were created to deal with the mafia extortion problem. What people didn’t realise was that by giving the police power to break the law, they were creating a new mafia – a mafia in uniform.

    There is a poem that expresses this mentality and the need to guard against it:

    First they came for the communists,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

    Then they came for the trade unionists,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews,
    and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

    Then they came for me
    and there was no one left to speak out for me.

    My views on Kasab are different from yours but I still believe that due process of law must be followed, as frustrating as it is.

    Reply

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