Vikas Dubey, killed in encounter, contacted police thrice for surrender
Noted Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey, who was killed in an encounter on Friday, tried to surrender before police thrice, but his pleas weren't entertained, a report in News18 claimed. He stayed in Noida for at least two nights, spent one night in Rajasthan's Kota, before going to Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, from where he was arrested yesterday morning. Here are more details.
Context: An accused in 60 cases, Dubey planned Kanpur carnage
A history-sheeter named in at least 60 criminal cases, Dubey was wanted by UP Police after he hatched a plan that took the lives of eight cops, including a DSP. Last Friday, when a search party reached Bikru village for a raid, Dubey's henchmen opened fire. Subsequently, an investigation was launched and a Special Task Force (STF) given the responsibility to nab him.
With police on his trail, Dubey traveled to MP
As part of efforts to nab Dubey, UP Police reached Faridabad, where he was said to be holed up at a hotel. However, he escaped before cops arrived. Meanwhile, across UP, police killed at least five of his associates, including his right-hand man Amar Dubey. The dreaded gangster then went to Madhya Pradesh, escaping the police's eyes, and was arrested from Mahakal Temple.
Reportedly, Dubey's lawyer contacted police for his surrender
While his arrest was deemed as a "victory," many saw it as a surrender. Interestingly, the News18 report also suggests that Dubey indeed wanted to give himself in. He stayed in Noida on July 5 and July 6, at the house of a criminal lawyer. The lawyer approached police on his behalf, informing that he wanted to surrender. Shockingly, his request was rebuffed.
Anticipating a "filmy" surrender, police also combed Noida Film City
In fact, earlier this week, Uttar Pradesh Police launched a massive operation at Noida Film City, where most of the national TV channels are based, to search for Dubey after reports claimed that he might surrender in a full camera view.
Notably, police in Delhi and Rajasthan also rejected his plea
Rejected by UP Police, the lawyer also reportedly contacted Delhi Police but got the same response. Thereafter, Dubey went to Kota, Rajasthan, where his surrender request was again denied by the police. It was then that Dubey got in touch with one Tiwari in Ujjain, who planned the episode at Mahakal Temple. "This time they had not involved the police," sources told the daily.
Dubey announced his name after being arrested
At the Mahakal Temple, Dubey is learned to have entered through a VIP pass. He reportedly purchased puja offerings using his real name and asked security guards to apprise police about his whereabouts. While being escorted to a police vehicle by nearly a dozen personnel, Dubey declared, "Main Vikas Dubey Hoon, Kanpurwala," indicating the possibility that he wasn't arrested, but surrendered himself.
Dubey met an extra-judicial fate today, was killed enroute Kanpur
This morning, while he was being taken to UP, Dubey was shot dead. According to the police's version, he fled after one of the cars of the STF convoy overturned near Kanpur. Police said he snatched a pistol, was asked to surrender but opened fire instead. Dubey was killed in retaliatory action and pronounced dead by a local hospital, police added.
