UP STF gets transit remand of gangster Vikas Dubey, leaves Ujjain for Kanpur

NEW DELHI: The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday got the transit remand of gangster Vikas Dubey, hours after he was arrested from Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple in the wee hours today.

The Kanpur-based dreaded history-sheeter was earlier produced before a local court in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district following his arrest after being on the run for several days. The STF officials then left Ujjain for Kanpur the where the notorious criminal will be interrogated in connection with the killing of eight policemen in the Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur on July 3.

The gangster was arrested outside a temple in the pilgrimage city of Ujjain on Thursday after purchasing prasad and an entry ticket to the shrine, ending a six-day manhunt for the man accused of masterminding a deadly ambush on a police party outside his home in Kanpur.

Confirming the news, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said two of Dubey's associates were also arrested.

"We have arrested Dubey and he is in our custody," Mishra said. "Dubey arrived at the (Mahakal) temple in his car. A police constable identified him first, after which three others (security personnel) were alerted and he was taken aside for questioning and later arrested," Mishra said.

Carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest, Dubey 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. 

The group was caught in a hail of gunfire from rooftops, which left eight policemen dead including a deputy superintendent. According to UP Police, Dubey is named in more than 60 criminal cases in his lifetime, including murders, kidnapping and extortion. 

Dubey was also accused of killing a BJP MLA in a police station 20 years ago but was acquitted for lack of evidence. Lauding Ujjain police for arresting Dubey, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, "Those who feel that after going to the Mahakal temple, their sins will be wiped out, they do not know about the Mahakal. Our government will not spare any criminals."

Meanwhile, two more aides of Dubey were gunned down in separate encounters in Uttar Pradesh, police said. Kartikeya, who was arrested from Faridabad on Wednesday, was being brought to Kanpur on transit remand when he snatched the pistol of a policeman and tried to flee, ADG, Law and Order Prashant Kumar said.

"The encounter took place in the Panki area of Kanpur when a police team. The police vehicle had a flat tyre. Taking advantage of the situation, Kartikeya tried to flee after snatching the pistol of a policeman," he said.

Kartikeya fired at the policemen accompanying him, injuring two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, and was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, the officer said.

The other aide, Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey, also wanted in connection with the Kanpur ambush, was killed in an encounter in Etawah, the police said.
"The police team surrounded a person at about 4.30 am and he was killed in an exchange of fire. The deceased was identified as Praveen alias Bauva Dubey. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest," Etawah SP Akash Tomar said.

Five persons have been killed in police encounters since the Kanpur ambush. Amar Dubey was killed in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district on Wednesday, while Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey were gunned down in an encounter in Kanpur on July 3.

Terming Vikas Dubey's arrest as a show, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted, "It appears to be a sponsored surrender for saving himself from an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh police. As per my information, it is done with the courtesy of a senior BJP leader of Madhya Pradesh."

While Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs and an SP spokesperson have denied any connection with the gangster, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe to ascertain the facts about the "grant of protection" to the gangster and targeted the state government over the episode.

(With Agency Inputs)