New Delhi: A number of English-language newspapers have released editorials on the murders of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf while they were in police custody, as well as the ‘encounter’ killings of Atiq’s son Asad and several of his aides.In these editorials, the newspapers highlighted how the killings pointed to a complete breakdown of the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh, and should be seen as a law and order crisis.‘Abject lawlessness’: The HinduThe Hindu‘s editorial pulled no punches in its criticism of the Uttar Pradesh authorities, saying that the murders of Atiq and Ashraf on live TV “show the abject lawlessness that prevails in the State”.The killings, the newspaper continued, are no isolated incident – “According to the U.P. police, 183 alleged criminals have been gunned down in encounters in the last six years. More than 10,900 police encounters have taken place since March 2017.”The situation in the state, then, can be described as “chaos”.“The U.P. police and administration have stretched the limits of its legitimate power by the dubious and discriminatory application of law and processes. The demolition of properties of people suspected of crime or participating in political protest has become routine,” the newspaper continues. “…Considering the serious charges that the State government and its police face of discrimination based on religion and caste, and scant regard for due process, an inquiry of a demonstrably independent nature is required.”‘Murder-for-murder frames disturbing questions’: The Indian ExpressThe Indian Express‘s editorial raised the question of how the same state whose leaders celebrated Atiq and Ashraf’s deaths, and who has said in no uncertain terms what it plans to do with ‘criminals’, can be trusted to conduct a real enquiry into what happened.“The UP police has more than its incompetence and helplessness to answer for,” the newspaper notes. “Just two days earlier, the UP Police had killed Atiq’s 19-year-old son Asad and an aide Ghulam Hussain, both accused in the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case, in an alleged encounter — Encounter No 183 since 2017, the year Yogi Adityanath became Chief Minister. These police “encounters” have always been condoned by the government and, despite the brazen disregard for due process, projected as accomplishments of the CM and the administration.”“At the heart of due process is the political will to ensure it. What is visible is its stark contrast. One UP minister, Swatantra Dev Singh, tweeted soon after Atiq Ahmed’s killing that “paap aur punya ka hisaab isi janam mein hota hai” (sin and virtue are accounted for in this lifetime). Another has called it “a cosmic decision”. That heavens have moved, stars have aligned to deliver justice, instant and brutal. This is what happens when the culture of impunity and the celebration of vigilantism feed on each other, when the state nurtures and incentivises both, assured of a rich political harvest,” according to The Indian Express.“Murder-for-murder frames disturbing questions: Has the state’s message to the police that they can get away with murder, forget due process, reached the aam aadmi, too? When the alleged assailants say they killed because they were sure “this would benefit us in the future”, has the Encounter Raj come home? In UP, does anyone with a gun claim a licence to kill? This is just the opposite of what the Yogi Adityanath government’s message has been, that its promise of development is contingent on the way it is committed to law and order. This commitment lay riddled with bullets Saturday. How the wheels of justice move for the killers of Atiq Ahmed will test the credibility — and capability — of the state and its institutions towards enforcing the rule of law.”‘Heads must roll’: Hindustan Times“The murders on Saturday evening are a big blow to Uttar Pradesh (UP)’s claims of a dramatic improvement in the law and order situation and cast an unflattering light on the police, which has been found sorely wanting in its primary role of providing protection,” the Hindustan Times has said in its editorial.The police, it continues, were more than well aware of the threat to Atiq’s life – and so there can be “no justification” for their failure to provide adequate security.“The murders were captured on live TV. This speaks poorly of the quality of policing. A thorough and monitored probe should fix accountability for this slip in security. Heads must roll,” it continues.‘Killings are a massive failure’: The Times of IndiaThe Times of India said in its editorial that it is in the Uttar Pradesh government’s best interest, if it wants its tall claims on law and order to be taken seriously, to probe all the murders associated with Atiq and his family thoroughly. It called the killings a “massive failure” for which accountability must be fixed. The killings themselves, and Atiq’s life journey from a gangster to a politician associated with multiple parties, also points to the criminal-politician nexus in the state. “This, therefore, leads to the suspicion that his killing may be a bit convenient,” the newspaper notes.“India has a dark history when it comes to police and extrajudicial encounters. It’s a symptom of a dysfunctional criminal justice system and also diverts attention from an underlying nexus between instruments of the state and the underworld. All these ingredients are present in the spate of killings that preceded Saturday night’s incident,” The Times of India states.‘Ecosystem of lawlessness’: Deccan HeraldDeccan Herald‘s editorial raised a number of questions about the police’s behaviour that facilitated the murders, including taking Atiq and Ashraf for a medical check up at night with minimal security. This incident, as well as the other ‘encounter’ killings associated with the case, “are part of an ecosystem of lawlessness and a chain of attacks mainly directed against the minority community”.“While it is true that Atiq Ahmed and his associates had criminal cases against them, the state does not have the right to kill any person, criminal or otherwise. Even the worst criminal should get the benefit of due process of law as otherwise there will be anarchy in society.”