Allahabad High Court orders CBI probe into Shravasti police encounter citing credibility gaps

The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench has ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged police encounter of Chhotkau alias Alauddin in Shravasti's Ikauna area, raising serious questions about the police version of events. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi observed that the sequence of events described in the FIR does not appear credible at first glance and that an independent probe is essential to uncover the truth.

The case dates back to May 2025 when an FIR was registered at Ikauna police station on 9 May regarding allegations of abducting a seven-year-old girl. The initial complaint named an accused called Shafiq and two unknown accomplices. Police claimed that subsequent investigation revealed Alauddin's involvement. On 12 May 2025, then Station House Officer Ashwini Kumar Dubey filed a second FIR, stating that Alauddin was attempting to flee to Nepal. According to police, near Andharpurwa bridge, a team including SWAT personnel surrounded him. Police claimed the accused opened fire, prompting the SHO to shoot twice with his 9mm service pistol, hitting both of Alauddin's legs. A country-made pistol and cartridges were allegedly recovered from the spot.

However, the High Court identified multiple serious discrepancies in the police account. The court questioned how 13 policemen could travel in one government vehicle and then split into three groups taking different routes, and how the team suddenly expanded to 23 personnel including SWAT without clear mention of additional vehicles in the FIR. The court expressed surprise that a person surrounded by 23 officers allegedly fired without injuring anyone, while the SHO's two bullets fired from approximately 15 meters away in darkness hit both of the accused's legs. The medical report describing the wounds and their compatibility with 9mm bullets also raised doubts. The court noted that prima facie, the SHO appeared to have misrepresented facts both in the FIR and before the court. Notably, all 23 officers involved were later rewarded for their work.

The case carries significant historical weight. Alauddin is the same person who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2012 for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl. While the High Court upheld the sentence, the Supreme Court acquitted him on 28 September 2022, criticizing serious flaws in investigation and prosecution. The current order acknowledges that those Supreme Court observations may have generated police resentment toward the accused. In its 13 August 2026 order, Justice Vidyarthi directed the CBI to independently investigate FIR 113/2025 and verify the encounter's authenticity, including testing the SHO's shooting capability under the described conditions. The CBI must submit its report within three months, while the court has stayed enforcement of the trial court's 2 July 2026 order rejecting Alauddin's discharge plea. The next hearing is scheduled for 23 November 2026.