A SILENT DEATH OF RULE OF LAW: ENCOUNTER KILLINGS

If you believe in right to life, then you must also believe in the right to have the means to defend that life.” – Charley Reese
Out of all the rights available to humans, the right to life is understood as the most supreme one. This is because of the reason that if there is no life, then the enjoyment of other rights available becomes all but, nullified and crucified. The Indian Constitution collated with a plethora of the Supreme court judgments delivered over the past 70 years, have predominantly held the right to have a life- the most inevitable of all. This right is considered as one of the most significant units of the Golden Triangle Doctrine[1], which further highlights the sensitivity of the Indian Courts towards the cardinal human rights’ principles. The duty for protecting these rights is handed over to the executive organ of the government and in common parlance, the police force of a nation is responsible for maintaining equilibrium between the human rights and law and order. Lately, the incidents of fake encounters or revenge encounters have brought the legal vacuum in this specific area of governance, to the fore. It thus becomes pertinent to understand the ailing components of this legal sphere, in much greater detail.