“Why does the bullet always hit below the accused’s knee?” – Allahabad High Court questions ‘half-encounter’

“Why does the bullet always hit below the accused’s knee?” – Allahabad High Court questions ‘half-encounter’

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into an alleged ‘half-encounter’ that took place in Shravasti, UP. The High Court found the police’s version of events to be incorrect *prima facie*, noting several serious discrepancies in the FIR registered by the police. It appears, *prima facie*, that the Station House Officer presented an incorrect account of the incident. The Court remarked on the pattern where police personnel do not sustain even minor pellet injuries, yet the accused invariably gets shot below the knee. Consequently, the High Court has directed the CBI to complete the investigation and submit a report within three months, if possible.