UP CM Adityanath refers to shooter held in Disha Patani house-firing case as 'Maareech'

Lucknow, Sep 20 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday sought to equate a shooter arrested in connection with a firing incident at actor Disha Patani's house in Bareilly to "Maareech", a demon expert in disguising himself.

Speaking at a function held at the Lok Bhawan here, Adityanath said, "A criminal involved in women-related crime came from outside (the state). He possibly entered like Maareech, but when the Uttar Pradesh Police's bullet hit him, he said he wrongly entered the state and will never show this audacity (again)." The chief minister said this has to be done with every criminal who disturbs women's safety.

One of the five shooters involved in the firing incident at Patani's ancestral house in Bareilly was arrested, along with an associate, after a police encounter on Friday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anurag Arya said the encounter took place in Bareilly and the accused, Ramanivas, sustained a bullet injury in his leg. His associate, Anil, was also arrested.

A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, showing Ramanivas lying on the ground with folded hands, telling police, "Baba ke Uttar Pradesh mein kabhi nahi aayenge sir (I will never come to Baba's Uttar Pradesh again)." By "Baba", the accused apparently referred to Adityanath.

Police have seized a .32-bore pistol, four live cartridges and four spent shells from the accused.

During questioning, Ramanivas confessed to his involvement in the firing, Arya said.

Adityanath inaugurated the ambitious Mission Shakti-5.0 campaign, dedicated to women's safety, dignity and self-reliance, at the Lok Bhawan auditorium.

Addressing the gathering, he said, "While daughters were once unsafe, today, they are confidently forging their own path." Highlighting the unprecedented transformation in the status of women in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, the chief minister said, "When the government's intentions are clear, schemes naturally find their way." Speaking on women's safety, he said from January 1, 2024 till the end of the 2024-25 financial year, as many as 12,271 criminals were convicted in 9,513 cases. These included 12 death sentences, 987 life imprisonments and 3,455 sentences of more than 10 years, he added.

On the occasion, the chief minister released the "Sashakt Nari, Samradh Pradesh" folder under Mission Shakti and highlighted various helpline numbers dedicated to women's safety, such as 1090, 181, 112, 1930, 1076, 102, 101, 108 and 1098. He said Mission Shakti centres will be set up in every police station and women officers will be deployed.

Highlighting the growing representation of women in the police force, Adityanath said since Independence, Uttar Pradesh had only 10,000 women police personnel. But since 2017, this number has gone past 44,000. He added that 20 per cent women's participation is now mandatory in every recruitment, with timely training ensured. In the recent recruitment of 60,200 police personnel, more than 12,000 women joined and are currently undergoing training.

The chief minister also touched upon improvements in school education. "More than 1.6 crore children are currently studying under the Basic Education Council. Before 2017, 70 to 75 per cent girls attended school barefoot and in worn-out clothes," he said.

Adityanath also highlighted the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, under which an amount of Rs 25,000 is provided for every daughter from birth to graduation.

He further emphasised that initiatives of both the Centre and the state government, such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Fit India Movement, Swachh Bharat Mission (12 crore toilets) and Ujjwala Yojana (10 crore cooking-gas connections), have transformed women's lives, freeing them from health hazards like smoke-filled kitchens and ensuring dignity.

The event was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Women Welfare and Child Development Minister Baby Rani Maurya, Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharwal, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, Director General of Police Rajiv Krishna, Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, along with several administrative and police officials. PTI NAV RC