LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Police killed 48 alleged criminals in encounters in 2025, the highest annual figure in the last eight years, according to official data released on Wednesday.Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters here, DGP Rajeev Krishna shared the data, covering police action between March 20, 2017, and December 29, 2025.Yogi Adityanath took charge as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.The data showed that 266 accused persons were killed in police encounters since 2017, reflecting the state police’s emphasis on what the DGP described as a zero-tolerance policy against crime, in line with the chief minister’s instructions.In 2025 alone, police conducted 2,739 operations, during which 3,153 accused were injured, while 48 were killed in encounters. One policeman was also killed during these operations, the data showed.The number of alleged criminals killed in police operations stood at 41 in 2018, 34 in 2019, and 26 each in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the figures dropped to 13, before rising to 26 in 2023 and 25 in 2024, the data showed.Over the eight-year period since 2017, police carried out 16,284 operations in total, in which 10,990 accused were injured and 266 killed.During these actions, 1,783 police personnel were injured and 18 lost their lives, according to the data.The figures showed that 2025 recorded the highest number of accused killed in police action when compared to each of the previous seven years, including 2024, when 25 alleged criminals were shot.The Uttar Pradesh Police has consistently maintained that the operations were carried out in self-defence and in accordance with law, as part of a broader crackdown on organised crime and repeat offenders.Sharing details of action against illegal religious conversions, DGP Krishna said that between January 1 and December 20, 2025, 475 cases were registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and 855 accused were arrested.According to the current status, chargesheets have been filed in 379 out of 409 cases, he said.On action against cow smuggling and cow slaughter, the DGP said that during the same period, 1,197 cases were registered across the state, leading to the arrest of 3,128 accused.Chargesheets have been filed in 958 of these cases, he told reporters.In 71 cases, action was taken against 613 accused under the Goonda Act, while proceedings under Section 14(1) of the Gangster Act were initiated against 1,273 accused, the DGP said.“Assets worth Rs 7.38 crore were seized as part of these actions,” the officer added.Sharing details of recoveries in cases of theft, robbery, dacoity and house-breaking, the top cop said that between January 1 and December 20, 2025, a substantial amount of property was seized across the state, reflecting effective crime control and successful detection.Police recovered 8,543 two-wheelers and 911 four-wheelers in cases related to theft, robbery, dacoity and house-breaking in 2025, the officer said.In addition, Rs 28.69 crore in cash, jewellery valued at Rs 52.27 crore and other property worth Rs 58.17 crore were seized in connection with these crimes, he said.Sharing details of recovered cellphones, the DGP said that 54,995 mobile phones with an estimated value of Rs 84.25 crore were recovered from across the state in 2025.Of these, 49,404 mobile phones, estimated to be worth Rs 76.59 crore, were returned to their rightful owners.On disposal of case property, the data showed that between January 1 and December 20, 2025, police disposed of 1.16 lakh vehicles, cash amounting to Rs 50.97 crore, jewellery with an estimated value of Rs 76.42 crore and 3.36 crore worth of electronic items.In addition, narcotic substances weighing 84,790 kg and 9.61 lakh litres, along with other property valued at Rs 39.53 crore, were also disposed of in accordance with the legal provisions, the DGP said.
