The man largely credited with crushing militancy in Punjab, K.P.S. Gill is a strong advocate of a proactive role for the police in fighting terrorism and organised crime. During his tenure as the Punjab police chief, his officers and men were given a free hand in cracking down on Sikh militants. He talks to Bhavna Vij-Aurora about encounter killings. Excerpts:
How does one explain encounters?
So, they bump off a 'terrorist' because they think he will not be punished by the country's courts...
Can encounters be discouraged, do cops necessarily have to be trigger-happy?
Why is it that some police officers come to be known as 'encounter specialists'? Do they get carried away by the hero-like status given to them?
How should one deal with mistaken identity encounters where innocent people are killed by the police?
So how must the authorities act against police officers caught in fake encounters or those of mistaken identity?
