The Allahabad High Court allowed bail to a theft accused who was shot in the leg by Uttar Pradesh police during an encounter. The court said that police do not have the right to punish accused by shooting them. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal criticized the UP police for firing at suspects' legs, calling it an unlawful way to discipline or impress superiors. The court noted, "This Court came across in several cases which prima facie shows that some police officers... just to get out of turn promotion or appreciation from the higher authority or to get fame in social media unnecessarily used firearm and caused firearm injury on the leg of the accused just below the knee. Such an act is not permissible in the eyes of law as the power of punishment to accused is within the domain of judiciary and not in the domain of the police." During the hearing, Sanjay Prasad, Additional Home Secretary of UP, and Rajeev Krishna, UP DGP, informed the court that repeated circulars were given to police chiefs to follow Supreme Court guidelines on encounters but admitted that many officers still do not comply. They promised fresh instructions and strict action against erring officers. The court issued new mandatory guidelines for encounters in UP following the Supreme Court's 2014 PUCL vs. State of Maharashtra case. These include immediate FIR registration if injury or death occurs, providing medical aid to the injured, recording the injured person's statement before a magistrate within a deadline, and prohibiting out-of-turn promotion or gallantry awards right after encounters. The judgment was delivered on January 30, 2026, and published on January 31.