Hyderabad Police: 2,847 suspects arrested in 2015

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad police shot dead 40 suspected criminals and injured over 200 others during encounters throughout the year, according to statistics the police issued on Monday. Around 361 encounters with suspected outlaws took place in 2015. Interestingly, no police personnel were injured or killed in these exchanges of fire. These allegedly staged encounters, which began after SSP Irfan Baloch took charge of the police department in November, 2014, reduced incidences of conventional crime and also improved the public perception of the police’s response to crimes. However, critics questioned the legality and long-term effectiveness of these allegedly fake encounters, which are known as ‘full fry’ and ‘half fry’ actions. The police claim to have busted 200 criminal gangs, arrested 2,847 suspects and absconders and recovered 650 weapons during the same period.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2015.