Bhubaneswar: Police encounters in Odisha, all non-fatal and resulting in injuries to criminals, have witnessed a sharp spike over the past two years, according to statistics from the Odisha police. From just four encounters in 2024, such incidents rose to 19 in 2025. This year, 10 have already been reported, with seven occurring in May alone.
Timeline of encounters
February saw one encounter each in Keonjhar and Puri (Pipili), followed by one in Sambalpur in March. May recorded seven incidents: four in Berhampur, two in Sambalpur, and one in Jharsuguda. Berhampur police alone conducted four encounters in 10 days, injuring five suspects. In the latest case, two prime accused in last month's sensational murder of land dealer Sudhir Patra suffered bullet wounds while allegedly trying to escape from police custody in Berhampur early Tuesday.
Reasons behind the aggressive stance
Although neither the government nor the police have issued formal instructions to carry out encounters, the aggressive stance gained momentum after a string of violent crimes. These include the abduction and murder of a Berhampur realtor, the daylight lynching of a railway constable in Bhubaneswar, and brazen street assaults in Berhampur. Reviewing law and order, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently directed police to instill a 'fear of law' among criminals.
Police justification
Police maintain that the encounter actions were retaliatory and in self-defence, claiming suspects opened fire or hurled bombs during arrest attempts. 'None of the encounters was pre-planned,' a senior officer said, adding that shots were aimed at the lower limbs of suspects to incapacitate rather than kill.
Criticism from human rights activists and legal experts
Human rights activists and legal experts denounce the surge as stage-managed and extrajudicial. 'How is it that every encounter looks identical and invariably takes place late at night? In each case, suspects end up with bullet wounds to their legs, while not a single police officer is injured. We do not defend criminals or oppose lawful action, but such patterns raise serious doubts. Inquiries should be conducted into every encounter to verify their authenticity,' said human rights campaigner Pramod Rath.
Senior lawyer Debasis Das said: 'Despite encounters, crimes keep occurring in Bhubaneswar and other districts. Odisha is known as a peaceful state. Regular exchanges of fire across the state may send a wrong message about Odisha's law and order situation.'
