Supreme Court adjourns hearing on petitions seeking probe into encounters by UP Police

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing on a batch of petitions seeking independent probe into the encounters that have been taking place in Uttar Pradesh.

A bench headed by Justice S.K. Kaul decided not to take up the matter for hearing saying that it will instead hear other matters where judgment could be expeditiously delivered.

Justice Kaul is due to retire on December 25 this year.

During an earlier hearing, the top court had called for an updated status report from Uttar Pradesh Police as to the progress of investigation or trial in all 183 cases where criminals have been gunned down in alleged fake encounters.

"Not only in these high profile cases (like Atiq Ahmed, Vikas Dubey, etc.), there are crimes which are happening in jails. It is worrisome as to why it happened in jails. There is a nexus," it had remarked.

In April, the Supreme Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bring on record steps taken, including inquiries initiated into the killings of Atiq and his brother Ashraf Ahmed.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari moved the apex court seeking an independent expert committee and also sought an inquiry into all encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017 – the year the Yogi Adityanath led-BJP government came to power in the state.

Aisha Noori, sister of slain gangsters Atiq and Ashraf, has also petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive probe by a commission headed by a retired judge of the top court into "custodial and extra-judicial" killings of her family members