Click to play videoNew Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Police managed to kill bandit Ghanshyam Kewat on Thursday after a gunbattle lasting over 48 hours.
Over 400 heavily armed police personnel were deployed to catch or Kewat dead or alive after he was trapped inside a house at Suruwal Rajapur village in Chitrakoot, 280 km from Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh confirmed that Kewat, who headed a gang that operated in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and was wanted for over two dozen murders, abductions and other crimes, had been gunned down.
DGP Vikram Singh joined CNN-IBN's India @ 9 from Lucknow and answered about the gunbattle.
CNN-IBN: Police seemingly were on the backfoot. Why did they so long? How did you let the dacoit escape?
Vikram Singh: As long a s their are encounter, there will not be two similar encounters, there will not be two similar terrains. But the fact remains that this encounter went on for a little more than 48 hours. Firstly the terrain is very difficult and the person who is in a position of advantage he takes advantage in matter of field craft and tactics and can keep army at bay. Any person with the rudiments of field craft would know that. Secondly the UP police convictions that wanton destruction to life, property and livestock should be avoided at all costs. We do not indulge in throwing Molotov cocktails or indulging in wanton destruction of property to get there even though in the face of giving supreme sacrifice of four of our gallant officer, we displayed exemplary restraint and finally we did get to the objective in getting the dacoit.
CNN-IBN: You have lost four of your officers. A DIG level officer was injured. Are you suggesting that there was absolutely no level of incompetence in terms of bad training? The fact was there was one dacoit and there seemed to be believe on the part of police that there was an entire dacoit gang that they were confronted with and somewhere the police operation appeared to go horribly wrong for a while.
Vikram Singh: Mr Sardesai your observations seem to be in place but your conclusions are way off the mark. I would simply request you to come and take a view of the terrain and then sit in judgement. Let him cast the first stone who has not sinned before. I can always take a judgement here but I feel sorry for the people and my boys who were there... who displayed exemplary courage. There is always a scope for improvement. We can always study, analyse and do a SWOT analysis of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Yes that is an ongoing exercise and we intend doing that. There is always a scope for improvement. But to just to set aside and roll every thing in a carpet that yes everything was lacking as far as police are concerned may not be very appropriate.
CNN-IBN: Not everything Mr Singh but small things. You spoke about any kind of collateral damage yet buildings were bulldozed, some were even set on fire. Four hundred policemen chasing one dacoit do seem to the public eye that the police was getting something wrong. What would you say? The police should have done better.
Vikram Singh: Yes! The sense of urgency as also fuelled by the electronic media this would have taken its own time, at its own pace but it was catalysed and accelerated in manner that was unprecedented… by the peer pressure and by media pressure. Yes there was also a chance of police bungling as well. But fortunately the police did not bungle up inspite of the heavy odds. Who set the room on fire? It wasn't the UP Police. I can assure you of that. It could have been the deceased dacoit.
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