Summary:
We wanted to provide firsthand information to the media.” The SSP emphasized that they have orders “from top” to share details of each and every encounter with the media. "According to official data, 66 men have been killed in police encounters since the Yogi Adityanath government assumed power in March last year. A TOI photojournalist was part of the group that witnessed what must be India's first encounter where media persons were cordially invited.Accompanied by cops, reporters and camera crews were asked to stay "at least 100 metres" away from the encounter site. Harduaganj police station in-charge Vinod Kumar followed them, but they managed to get inside the abandoned building, which was eventually surrounded by additional forces. None of them were protected by bullet-proof vests or helmets.Aligarh SP (city) Atul Srivastava told TOI, “Mustakim and Naushad (the two men who died) fired gunshots and raced passed a police team after they were signaled to stop..