Prayagraj, Jan. 31 -- The Allahabad High Court has taken a strict view of the growing practice of the Uttar Pradesh Police shooting accused persons in the legs and later describing the incident as an "encounter" [Raju alias Rajkumar vs State of Uttar Pradesh].

Through an order passed on January 28, Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal directed the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of the state to appear before the Court via video conferencing on Friday, January 30.

The DGP and the Home Secretary have been asked to inform the Court whether any oral or written instructions were issued to police officers to shoot accused persons in the legs or otherwise, while claiming such incidents to be police encoun...