India, Dec. 31 -- Uttar Pradesh Police gunned down 49 alleged criminals in encounters, marking the highest annual toll since the state began its aggressive crackdown on crime in 2017. The figure has already surpassed the previous peak of 41 encounter killings recorded in 2018. The total number of criminals shot dead in police encounters since March 2017 has climbed to 266. The state government maintains that encounters are carried out in self-defence and are part of a broader strategy to deter serious crime, while the figures continue to draw attention from civil rights groups and political observers alike....