District Police Units

This section does not cite any sources. (August 2023)

There are a total of 68 District police units (headed by SP/SSP) and 7 Police Commissionerate (headed by CP) in the state.

In each district (except all current 7 commissionerates), the head of the police is the SP or SSP. In the discharge of his duties, he is assisted by Superintendent of Police (SP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (Deputy SP) or Assistant Superintendent of Police who may either be the officers of the Provincial Police Service or Indian Police Service.

The number of SPs and Deputy SPs varies with the size, population, police work, or nature of police work in different districts. The number of SPs and Dy.SPs in districts like Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Meerut, Moradabad is considerably more than other districts. Whereas in smaller districts like Baghpat, Kannauj, Mahoba, Chandauli the number of the PPS officers is relatively lesser.

Typically, a police district in the state corresponds with the administrative district. Though, the head of the police force in the district is the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)/Superintendent of police (SP), who is always an officer of the Indian Police Service, the ultimate/final responsibility with regard to the maintenance of the law and order in the district lies with the district magistrate who is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The police district is further subdivided into police sub-divisions or police circles. A police circle is usually headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Superintendent of Police. The officer heading the police circle/sub-division is designated as the Circle Officer (C.O.) in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A police circle is usually constituted by 2 to 4 police stations. Each police station is headed by a police inspector. Throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh and other states, especially in North India, there is the main police station in the older/ main part of the city known as the Kotwali. The Kotwali covers the main or usually the older part of the town/city under its jurisdiction. Earlier, when the cities and towns were smaller and had a lesser population than at present and they hadn't grown in size so much, Kotwali covered the main town area of the cities or the districts. A police station is also called as a thana in the local language. The officer in charge of a police station is designated as or called as the station officer (S.O.) or station house officer (S.H.O). He is assisted by various sub-inspectors, head-constables, constables. There are also a number of police chowkis that come under the police station. A police chowki is under the charge of a sub-inspector of police. The regular constabulary carries the bulk of normal beat policing and patrolling.

Zones, Ranges and districts

Commissionerates

There are currently 7 police commissionerates under UP Police -

In the police commissionerate system, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) or Inspector General of Police (IGP) heads the district police department or commissionerate.

In Lucknow Police, the CP is assisted by 2 Joint Commissioners of Police (JCPs) with the ranks of IG and DIG, in Kanpur Police the commissioner is assisted by 2 Additional Commissioners (Addl. CPs) in the ranks of IG and DIG who look after Law and order while other looks into Crime & Headquarters respectively, whereas in all other commissionerates the commissioner is assisted by Addl.CP(s) of DIG rank. Under them, there is a team of IPS & PPS officers who are posted as DCPs and ACPs. Three DCPs are posted in a zone. One DCP's insignia is the state emblem above one star, who is senior to the other two DCPs, whose insignia is one state emblem only. Under the DCPs work ACPs, who are the chiefs of various circles. They are vested with the powers of the executive magistrate for criminal cases.

Police Commissionerates are independent of zonal & range police chiefs' supervision. They are also vested with powers of an executive magistrate under various acts.

Hierarchy

Police Units

Facial recognition system

UP police uses a database of 500,000+ criminals with facial recognition technology in its "Trinetra" face identification system.^[37][38]

Social media research center

A social media command and research center has been established in Meerut. The center monitors trends in social media that can have an impact on law & order situation and advise concerned district and range police chiefs.^[39]

Corruption

In 2007, 18,000 police officers were fired as they were hired despite being unqualified for the job. These new recruits were illiterates who bribed between ₹100,000 and ₹500,000 to cheat in the UP police entrance tests.^[49]

In 2020, Uttar Pradesh government started an operation to screen allegedly corrupt police officials who will be forced to take retirement.^[50]

Fake encounters

In 2018, India Today carried out an investigative piece reporting incidents of UP police framing innocent people and killing them in staged encounters for money and promotions.^[51] A sub-inspector had allegedly offered to gun down an innocent civilian for around Rs 8 lakh.^[52] Between 2015–2018, 211 complaints of fake encounters were filed in India out of which 39 were on UP police.^[53] In 2012, 17 UP police personnel were given life term for killing an incontinent 24-year-old man in a 1992 fake encounter and later they branded the victim as a terrorist.^[54]

On 10 July 2020, Uttar Pradesh police personnel were involved in the encounter of gangster and former BSP leader Vikas Dubey. Dubey was apprehended a day before near the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The police vehicle taking him back to Uttar Pradesh was involved in a crash; seeing the opportunity, Dubey allegedly snatched a pistol from a policeman trying to fix a flat tire and tried to run away,^[55] before being killed by the Uttar Pradesh police.^[56] An earlier attempt to arrest Dubey resulted in the death of 8 policemen, including a DSP rank officer. Through an investigation, call records showed that Dubey was in contact with multiple police personnel, who were acting as moles and leaked information to him.^[57]

Moral Policing

The Uttar Pradesh Police has been extensively involved in incidents of moral policing. These incidents have earned ire from general public and media personnel, besides the Supreme Court.

On 19 December 2005, police personnel raided a public park in Meerut, accompanied by cameras crews from TV channels. They attacked couples sitting in the park in front of cameras. The raid was termed "Operation Majnu" (named after the folklore) and it was claimed by the police that the purpose was to check sexual harassment.^[58][59]

On 29 November 2011, the Ghaziabad police launched its own "Operation Majnu". The police caught couples in parks and made the men do sit-ups in front of TV cameras. The head of the operation an officer called Alka Pandey said it was to prevent "innocent girls being trapped by boys with evil motives".^[60]

On 10 August 2013, Ghaziabad police raided a hotel on a tip-off and detained 56 adult couples. It was later found out of them, 52 couples were married or consenting friends. The police had carried out the raid after locals noticed usual traffic to the hotel and told the police.^[61][62]

In 2017, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started the anti-romeo squads in the department for safety of women and young girls from sexual harassment and eve-teasing. However, the squads were found to be involved in acts of moral policing, harassment of couples, as well as extortion.^[63] Due to such incidents, the Police force and the Government came under fire from media for such incidents of moral policing, as well as misuse of authority, eventually demanding that the squads be disbanded.^[64]

Crimes against Women

The Uttar Pradesh Police has an infamous history of refusing to file reports and investigate crimes against women, notably rape cases, especially when high profile individuals like political leaders are involved, or caste bias. This has led to botched investigations, or cases being assigned to the CBI. Despite the changes mandated by Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, the attitude of Uttar Pradesh Police officials has often been lackluster, which has worsened crime rate and safety of women, especially in the rural areas and with most victims belonging to minority and backward castes.^[65] There have also been police officers accused of crimes against women, especially rape, molestation, and sexual harassment.

In February 2017, the Uttar Pradesh Police refused to file a rape case against Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, then minister of State for mining. Following the refusal, the victim approached Supreme Court and a report was filed and investigation was conducted. Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was arrested in March 2017 after absconding for long.^[66] On 12 November 2021, he was sentenced to life on the charges of rape.^[67]

The Uttar Pradesh Police was criticized for mishandling the 2017 Unnao rape case, which involved expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The victim's father went to file report earlier, but after initial refusal by the Police, the Supreme Court took action and recommended filing the report. However, in the aftermath, 6 officers were suspended for arresting the victim's father and subsequent custodial death, who was also assaulted by the accused's brother Atul Sengar.^[68][69] Following outrage and protests, the CBI took over the investigation and the case was handed to Allahabad High Court. Kuldeep Sengar was convicted in December 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and kidnapping, along with a fine of Rs 25 lakhs.^[70]

In the 2020 Hathras gang rape and murder, the Uttar Pradesh Police came under fire, after some officials forcibly cremated the body of the victim girl without the consent of her family.^[71] The station house officer of Chandpa Police Station, Inspector DK Verma, was transferred for his "failure to promptly act" in the case, as well as humiliating the victim, refusal to file a report, and failure to follow procedures laid down for investigation of rape.^[72] A CBI team, appointed by the State Government in the aftermath, reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh Police for inaction and delay in collecting samples as well as other evidence, eventually botching up the investigation, along with misconduct against the victim's family. The botched investigation led to the acquittal of 3 of the 4 accused, with neither of them charged with rape and murder; furthermore, the department was also condemned for failure to stop protests led by expelled BJP MLA Rajveer Singh Pehelwan, with activists and members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, who held a rally in support for the accused as they belonged to the upper castes.^[73] Additionally, the Provincial Armed Constabulary, tasked to protect the victim's family, was criticized for allowing kin of accused and the upper caste villagers to enter the premises of the victim's family and threaten them to take back their case; following media allegations, the CRPF took over the security of the family.

On 20 September 2023, eight police personnel across the state were arrested and charged for different crimes against women.^[74]

Political Influence and Interference

The Uttar Pradesh Police has been criticized for refusal to investigate high profile cases involving political leaders of either ruling or opposition party.^{[citation needed]} Political leaders have also attempted to influence or stop such investigations, or threaten police officials against actions on party leaders or workers.^{[citation needed]}

On 10 July 2015, IPS Officer Amitabh Thakur, who was posted as an IG, alleged that former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, had threatened him on a phone call. He released the audio of the phone call, in which Yadav is allegedly heard saying certain sentences of threatening nature:^[75][76] Thakur alleged that Mulayam Singh was unhappy about the complaint lodged by his wife Nutan against the state minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati for illegal mining activities.^[76] In retaliation, Thakur was charged with false cases of rape and disproportionate assets, both of which were proven to be baseless and he was cleared by the Economic Offenses Wing and the Vigilance Department.

Supporting Right Wing Organizations

The Uttar Pradesh Police has received negative publicity for not acting against right wing organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Karni Sena, and many others. These organizations have been responsible for several acts, such as oppression of people of lower castes and minority religions, cow vigilantism, moral policing, and harassment of couples of love marriages.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has received widespread condemnation for filing charges against victims of cow vigilantism. The victims, who have been accused of cow slaughter or smuggling of cattle, belong to either Muslim or lower caste Hindu communities.^[77][78]

Following the introduction of Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 in Uttar Pradesh to curb Love Jihad, the Uttar Pradesh Police, collaborating with Bajrang Dal, have attempted to stop interfaith marriages. In certain cases, misconduct of Uttar Pradesh Police officials have resulted in backlash, especially against women thought to be victims of Love Jihad.^[79] The police personnel have also targeted couples involved in inter-caste marriages, while apparently using this law against Muslim and Dalit community, along with stopping consensual inter-faith marriages.^[80][81]

In 2014, a girl, whose father was a liquor baron in Agra, eloped with a man and sought shelter with the Love Commandos in nearby New Delhi. The girl's father used his influence to ask the Uttar Pradesh police in Agra to search for the girl. Agra police allegedly managed to find the girl's location in a suburban area in New Delhi by using her cellphone signal. They began combing area while being armed. Ultimately, the Delhi Police had to intervene and stop the illegal search.^[82]