Uttar Pradesh Police shot and injured nearly 650 people accused of cow smuggling and cattle slaughter between 2020 and 2025, with Muslims accounting for about 93% of those whose religious identity could be established, according to an investigation by the Associated Press (AP).
The findings are based on data compiled by the Washington-based Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), which identified 650 cases involving suspects injured in police encounters under cow-related laws. Of the 627 cases in which religious identity could be verified through names and other records, 583 involved Muslims.
The AP independently examined more than 200 cases, reviewing First Information Reports (FIRs), police press releases and posts published by district police accounts on X.
The findings raise concerns over the use of force by the police, the treatment of suspects before trial and the disproportionate representation of Muslims among those injured in encounters linked to alleged cattle-related offences. Since the cases were identified through incidents publicised by the police, the investigation also leaves open the possibility that the actual number could be higher.
The police accounts examined by the AP describe a similar sequence of events. Officers reportedly attempted to stop vehicles, often carrying cattle and travelling at night, on suspicion of illegal transportation. The suspects allegedly tried to escape and fired at the police, prompting officers to retaliate by shooting them in the legs to prevent their escape and arrest them.
Such shootings, commonly referred to as “half-encounters” in Uttar Pradesh, have become a recurring feature of the state’s policing under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who took office in 2017.
The state government has maintained a public stance of zero tolerance towards crime. According to figures presented by the government in the state Assembly, the UP Police have conducted more than 12,000 encounters since 2017. These incidents span several categories of crime, including murder, robbery, kidnapping and cases involving alleged cattle smuggling.
The AP investigation examines a narrower category: suspects shot and injured in encounters connected to cow protection and cattle slaughter laws.
Uttar Pradesh regulates cattle slaughter and transportation under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. Amendments introduced in 2020 strengthened the law, increasing penalties and expanding provisions concerning the transportation of cattle and the seizure of vehicles and property.
The amended law provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 5 lakh for specified offences. It also makes offences under the Act non-bailable. The restrictions cover cows, bulls and bullocks, while certain provisions also apply to buffaloes.
Cow protection has remained a politically sensitive issue in India, where Hindus, who constitute roughly 80% of the population, regard the animal as sacred. In parts of northern India, Muslims and Dalit communities have historically worked in cattle trading, meat processing and the leather industry.
Rights advocates argue that the enforcement of cow protection laws must be examined against this social and economic background, particularly when the overwhelming majority of those injured in encounters under these laws belong to one religious minority.
Senior Uttar Pradesh Police officials have rejected allegations that the encounters reflect communal targeting or extrajudicial punishment.
Amitabh Yash, the state’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), told the AP that officers used force in self-defence. He also denied that police personnel received rewards or career benefits for participating in encounters.
“The police must be questioned for every action they take. Every action is open to scrutiny, whether it is a death or an injury,” Yash said, according to the AP.
He attributed the high proportion of Muslims in the cases to their participation in the illegal cattle trade, rather than to any policy of religious discrimination. Yash also said the police would examine the pattern of leg injuries if a formal complaint was lodged.
The UP Police have defended their broader crackdown on cattle smuggling, maintaining that it has helped curb organised illegal trade and improve law and order.
However, the state government has not published consolidated data identifying the religious backgrounds of people injured in cow-related encounters that could be used to independently assess the investigation’s findings.
In January 2025, the Allahabad High Court, while hearing a bail application, observed that firing at the legs of accused persons appeared to have become a routine practice. The court described the practice as “wholly impermissible” under the rule of law and questioned whether some encounters were being staged for publicity.
In a separate case in June 2025, another bench of the High Court raised concerns about what it described as a “culture of institutional impunity” in the state.
The Supreme Court, in its 2014 judgment in People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. State of Maharashtra, laid down safeguards for investigating deaths resulting from police encounters. These include the registration of an FIR, an independent investigation, a magisterial inquiry and reporting to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
While the framework sets out procedures for encounter deaths, the investigation of non-fatal injuries presents a distinct legal question. The PUCL filed a public interest litigation in 2018 seeking an independent investigation into encounters in Uttar Pradesh. The petition remains pending before the Supreme Court, according to the report.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and is based on information available in the public domain.
