Gangster Vikas Dubey shot dead in encounter as he tried to snatch weapon and flee, say cops
A day after his arrest in Ujjain, Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey, wanted for the killing of 8 policemen in Kanpur, was gunned down in an encounter after he reportedly tried to flee when a car in the Special Task Force convoy taking him from Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain to Uttar Pradesh's Shivli overturned in Kanpur.
The dreaded gangster, accused of masterminding a deadly ambush on a police party outside his Bikru village home, was arrested outside Mahakal temple in the pilgrimage city of Ujjain on Thursday after purchasing prasad and an entry ticket to the shrine, ending a six-day manhunt.
Kanpur: One of the vehicles of the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) that was bringing back #VikasDubey from Madhya Pradesh to Kanpur overturns. Police at the spot. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/ui58XBbd82
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
As per ANI, the incident occurred after one of the vehicles of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force convoy bringing Dubey back from Madhya Pradesh overturned following an accident.
Cops said that the vehicle carrying gangster Vikas Dubey met with an accident. Taking advantage of the mishap, he tried to escape by snatching a weapon from an injured cop.
#WATCH Forensic team arrives at the site of UP STF car convoy accident and encounter of #VikasDubey in Kanpur. pic.twitter.com/ktWoqguMWy
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
Kanpur: Latest visuals from the site of UP STF car convoy accident and encounter of #VikasDubey in Kanpur.
Large number of people, police and media personnel seen in the area. pic.twitter.com/46hPDZ55R0— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
A combing operation was done and Vikas was asked to surrender, but he opened fire. Some cops were injured. In the retaliatory firing by the cops, who acted in self defence, Dubey was injured.
He was rushed to the hospital but the doctors declared him dead. ‘This was no encounter, all we did was in self defence,’ a cop said.
Law has taken its course. It could be a matter of regret &disappointment for those who raised questions on Vikas Dubey's arrest y'day&death today. MP Police did its job, it arrested&handed him over to UP Police: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on #vikasDubeyEncounter pic.twitter.com/GIiIChND66
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2020
Timeline of events
Media vehicles accompanying the convoy from Jhansi were reportedly stopped before the last toll
At around 6:40 am the convoy carrying Vikas Dubey crosses the Kanpur Dehat border
Vehicle carrying Dubey overturns at around 7:30 am near the Sachendi Pass
Dubey tries to flee and suffers bullet injuries in the cross-firing
Dubey taken to Hallet Hospital where doctors pronounce him dead
ALSO READ: PIL in SC predicted Vikas Dubey encounter
ALSO READ: The loose canon all politicians wanted to use
Police stated this before gangster Vikas Dubey was declared dead by the hospital authorities. https://t.co/0F7eLznsEL
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
The doctors declared Dubey dead at the hospital.
Body of gangster Vikas Dubey who was killed in police encounter today, at LLR Hospital in Kanpur. pic.twitter.com/82X50eFiaJ
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
Kanpur: According to police, 4 policemen were injured after a car from UP STF convoy bringing back #VikasDubey from Madhya Pradesh, overturned today morning. pic.twitter.com/rI0RMpWXwz
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
The condition of the 3 injured police personnel is stable; bullets brushed by two of them. #VikasDubey had 3 bullet injuries on the chest and one on his arm: Dr RB Kamal, Principal, LLR Hospital, Kanpur pic.twitter.com/sdvUqgO8TH
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
Opposition alleges nexus between Dubey and politicians
Meanwhile, the Congress and others have cast doubts on the manner in which the gangster was killed and claimed that this was a ‘fake encounter’ to ensure that the ‘truth does not come out’.
The Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said there was no way Dubey would have tried to flee since he had surrendered to the police in the first place.
#VikasDubey एंकाउंटर में मारा गया।
कई लोगों ने पहले ही ये आशंका जताई थी।
पर अनेकों सवाल छूट गए-
1. अगर उसे भागना ही था, तो उज्जैन में सरेंडर ही क्यों किया?
2. उस अपराधी के पास क्या राज थे जो सत्ता-शासन से गठजोड़ को उजागर करते?
3. पिछले 10 दिनों की कॉल डिटेल्ज़ जारी क्यों नहीं? pic.twitter.com/B87UqYiqPf— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 10, 2020
Congress’s new Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh said that he had always feared this would happen, asVikas Dubey was linked to many cops and politicians.
मैं शिवराज जी से विकास दुबे की गिरफ़्तारी या सरेंडर की न्यायिक जॉंच की मॉंग करता हूँ। इस कुख्यात गेंगस्टर के किस किस नेता व पुलिसकर्मियों से सम्पर्क हैं जॉंच होना चाहिए। विकास दुबे को न्यायिक हिरासत में रखते हुए इसकी पुख़्ता सुरक्षा का ध्यान रखना चाहिए ताकि सारे राज़ सामने आ सकें
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2020
Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that by killing Dubey, the cops have actually saved the UP government.
दरअसल ये कार नहीं पलटी है, राज़ खुलने से सरकार पलटने से बचाई गयी है.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 10, 2020
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, reacting to Vikas Dubey's death, said: ‘The criminal is dead, but what about those who aided the criminal?’
अपराधी का अंत हो गया, अपराध और उसको सरंक्षण देने वाले लोगों का क्या?
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 10, 2020
Former UP CM and BSP supremo Mayawati demanded a Supreme Court-monitored ‘neutral’ probe into the encounter.
1. कानपुर पुलिस हत्याकाण्ड की तथा साथ ही इसके मुख्य आरोपी दुर्दान्त विकास दुबे को मध्यप्रदेश से कानपुर लाते समय आज पुलिस की गाड़ी के पलटने व उसके भागने पर यूपी पुलिस द्वारा उसे मार गिराए जाने आदि के समस्त मामलों की माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट की निगरानी में निष्पक्ष जाँच होनी चाहिए। 1/2
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 10, 2020
Oh so predictable! The biggest mob in India is the @Uppolice headed by a “Don” Now everything is settled. All inconvenient truths buried for good. @IPS_Association https://t.co/oTV7tbD2En
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 10, 2020
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan claimed to have predicted the encounter and urged the top court to take cognisance of ‘this obvious crime’.
This is the most blatant case of extra judicial killing. Dubey was a gangster terrorist who may have deserved to die. But UP police have killed him to shut his mouth. If the SC does not take Suo Moto cognizance of this obvious crime, it means there is no rule of law left in India https://t.co/bPRfKEEyCr
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) July 10, 2020
The Shiv Sena too reacted in a cryptic manner, hinting that with the killing of Dubey, no secrets will tumble out.
न रहेगा बाँस, न बजेगी बाँसुरी#VikasDubey
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 10, 2020
J&K leader Omar Abdullah, reacting to the death of Gangster Vikas Dubey, said: ‘Dead men tell no tales’, hinting at the allegations of a nexus between Dubey and powerful politicians/police officials.
Dead men tell no tales #VikasDubey
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 10, 2020
The Media said police stopped them near Kanpur early in the morning just before the encounter.
#WATCH Media persons, who were following the convoy bringing back gangster Vikas Dubey, were stopped by police in Sachendi area of Kanpur before the encounter around 6.30 am in which the criminal was killed. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/K1B56NGV5p
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
Dubey, wanted in connection with the Kanpur ambush in which eight policemen were killed, was arrested on Thursday after a week-long hunt.
Eight policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were ambushed in Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, where they had gone to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops last Friday.
His closest aide, Aman Dubey, was killed BY Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) yesterday. Aman, who was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000, was killed in an encounter in Maudaha village in Hamirpur district.
He was the third member of Dubey's gang to be killed in an encounter with the police.
Carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest, the gangster had been on the run since last Friday night when a police party, which had gone to arrest him from his house in Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, was ambushed.
#WATCH One of the vehicles of the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force that was bringing back #VikasDubey from Madhya Pradesh to Kanpur overturned today morning. Following the accident, Dubey was killed in police encounter when he tried to flee. pic.twitter.com/AaZnDvmHHk
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 10, 2020
The group was caught in a hail of gunfire from rooftops, which left eight policemen, including a deputy superintendent, dead.
Police say he has been a prime accused in some 60 criminal cases in his lifetime, including murders. He was accused of killing a BJP MLA in a police station 20 years ago but was acquitted for lack of evidence.
With inputs from PTI, News18, ANI.