Kanpur shootout: Crime against Police-officers/public servants during discharge of his/her

duty.

On 2nd July 2020, eight Uttar Pradesh police personnel including a Deputy SP were killed after
they were fired upon by criminals. The police officials were shot dead in an encounter when they
were trying to catch a history sheeter facing sixty criminal cases namely Vikas Dube. In 2001,
Vikas Dube was engaged for killing a BJP leader in a police station. As the police team was
about to reach the hideout of the criminal, a hail of bullets were showered upon them from a
rooftop of a building which left eight police officials namely, Deputy SP Devendra Mishra, three
sub inspectors and four constables shot dead. Besides the death of the eight officials, other seven
cops were also badly injured in the encounter. The criminals managed to escape the crime scene.

This incident is considered to be a crime against a public servant who was only discharging their
duties which is an offence under the Indian Penal Code which holds anyone using criminal force
to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty under Section 353, liable for punishment.

Section 353 in The Indian Penal Code; Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from
discharge of his duty; states that, "Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person being a
public servant in the execution of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or
deter that person from discharging his duty as such public servant, or in consequence of anything
done or attempted to be done by such person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public
servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend
to two years, or with fine, or with both."

The offence under section 353 is cognizable, bailable and non-compoundable, and is triable by

any magistrate. Thus from this incident it is evident that the police officers who lost their lives
need to be provided with justice and the criminals need to be prosecuted for the crimes they have
committed.