A certain stretch in Noida — under the Phase II police station — is becoming a regular site for encounters. Between December 2008 and October 14, 2009, seven encounters have taken place here. Wednesday’s encounter was the last.

The area — near Phase II Hosiery Complex and the roads being built between the Expressway and Phase II — is a barren stretch of land extending for several kilometres. The closest landmark is the Hosiery Complex, also known as ‘flower mandi’. Wednesday’s encounter took place around three to four kilometres from the mandi. The area is known for being a hideout of criminals at night as there are no public lights here or people living in the vicinity.

Suspicions have been raised earlier about the site. The Noida police have their justification.

“There are many villages in the outskirts of Noida which the police cannot patrol owing to a shortage in personnel,” said a senior police officer. “Infrastructure-wise too, the zone is not fully developed, which is probably why the criminals find the area easy to use for entry and exit.”

Ashok K Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddha Nagar, said: “There is no answer why criminals use that specific way. It may be because the lack of electricity and the area being secluded helps them escape.”

The encounters that have taken place so far in the area are as follows:

On October 14, the Noida Phase II police shot three men at the spot — Mohammed Wasim (22), Imran (22), and Shekhar Sharma (22), who had abducted the personal attendant of the CEO of the Greater Noida Authority.

... contd.