Judicial panel cites official collusion, gives clearance to UP police team in Vikas Dubey encounter case

Image courtesy: PTI (file pic)

New Delhi: In the Vikas Dubey encounter case, a three-member judicial commission, formed on the Supreme Court direction, gave clearance to the police action. The report was tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Thursday. 

The three-member judicial commission, which was headed by retired Supreme Court Judge BS Chauhan and with retired Allahabad HC judge Justice Shashi Kant Agarwal and former UP Director General of Police KL Gupta as its other members, recommended an inquiry against the “erring public servants”.

The commission cited enough evidence that Vikas Dubey and his gang were patronised by local police, revenue and administrative officials, according to The Indian Express report.

Citing the patronage to Vikas Dubey and his gang by police and revenue officers, the report said, “Police and revenue officers patronised him and his gang. If any person lodged any complaint against Vikas Dubey or his associates, the complainant was always humiliated by the police. Even if the higher authorities directed to lodge the complaint, the local police dictated the terms.”

It further said that the investigation in any case lodged against the gang was never impartial, adding "Sections relating to serious offences were dropped before filing the chargesheet. During the trial, most witnesses turn hostile. Vikas Dubey and his associates got bail orders from the courts easily and quickly as there was no serious opposition by the state authorities and government advocates."

It said that the state authorities never considered it appropriate to engage a special counsel for his prosecution, adding "The state never moved any application for cancellation of bail or approached the superior court for cancellation of any of the bail orders.”

Last year on July 3, a police team had gone to Bikru village in Kanpur to arrest Vikas Dubey but came under heavy gunfire from rooftops near the gangster’s home, and eight policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, died in the ambush.

Vikas was reportedly killed in an encounter on July 10 morning when a police vehicle ferrying him from Ujjain met with an accident near Kanpur and the gangster tried to escape.

Prior to Dubey’s encounter, five of his associates were also killed in separate encounters, while 36 including two policemen and four women were arrested and sent to jail.