Rai writes to Shah over crime, administrative lapses in state

Shailvee ShardaLucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Rai on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking high-level intervention to ensure accountability in cases involving serious crime and administrative lapses.In his letter, Rai claimed that incidents of murder, rape, organised crime, extortion, narcotics trafficking and alleged police excesses raised concerns despite the state govt’s repeated assertions that law and order were being maintained effectively.The Congress leader said the govt highlighted police encounters as evidence of its crackdown on crime. Referring to official figures, he claimed that 23 alleged criminals were killed in police encounters during the first five months of 2026 and that 35 encounters were reported across the state in just two days in May. Rai, however, alleged that incidents involving violent crime, sexual offences, crimes against children and organised criminal activity continued to be reported from several districts.The Congress leader also demanded independent probes into a series of high-profile incidents, including the alleged toxic cough syrup case, the Vineet Rai murder case, the Siyaram Upadhyay death case and the recent Hamirpur bridge accident.He further sought a legal and constitutional review of demolition drives carried out as part of what he described as the state’s ‘bulldozer policy’.“The people of Uttar Pradesh need a fear-free environment, an effective justice system, an accountable administration and the impartial rule of law, rather than merely claims of action against criminals,” Rai said in the letter.