Bulldozer action gives way to encounter killing: UP police shoot dead Muslim accused in priest murder

The killing of accused persons in police encounters has become a norm after episodes of bulldozer action in Uttar Pradesh, particularly when the accused belongs to the Muslim community, as another incident involving a Muslim man accused of killing a Hindu priest was reported from Unnao district following last week's encounter killing of Asad, despite criticism from rights activists who argued that such killings bypass due process and constitutional safeguards.

Israyil alias Ijrail, who was wanted in connection with the murder of Milan Das, a priest overseeing the construction of a Shiva temple in Purvi Tola village, was killed in what police described as an encounter during the early hours of Monday. Authorities had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest after he allegedly went into hiding following the killing.

According to police, a joint team of Bangarmau Police and the Special Operations Group was conducting checks on the Agra Expressway service road when it received information that Israyil was waiting near the Tajpur underpass.

Officers claimed they surrounded him and asked him to surrender, but alleged that he instead opened fire, with one bullet striking the bulletproof jacket of a sub-inspector while another injured an SOG constable in the hand.

Police maintained that they retaliated in self-defence, during which Israyil sustained gunshot wounds and was later declared dead at the Community Health Centre in Bangarmau. They also claimed to have recovered a knife allegedly used in the murder, a .315-bore country-made pistol, and two spent cartridges from the scene.

The Indian Express reported that three of the five named accused had already been arrested, while Israyil and another suspect remained absconding.

Meanwhile, the district administration demolished an ahaata owned by local corporator Ateeq Khan, alleging that it had been constructed on village panchayat land, even as authorities said his possible role in the murder was under investigation, though he has not been named as an accused.

The latest encounter has also drawn attention to the scale of such operations in Uttar Pradesh, where, according to official data released in May 2026, police have carried out 17,043 encounters over the past nine years, resulting in the deaths of 289 alleged criminals, the arrest of 34,253 people and injuries to 11,834 accused persons, while the operations also claimed the lives of 18 police personnel and left another 1,852 injured.