Bikru shootout: Court awards 5-yr RI to man convicted for firing at police

Bikru shootout was planned by slain gangster Vikas Yadav. He and his men ambushed a police team on the night of July 2.

KANPUR More than three years after the Bikru village ambush which left eight cops dead, the anti-dacoity court in Kanpur Dehat on Monday awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to one Shyamu Bajpai, who has been convicted for his involvement in the case.

This is the first sentencing into the 34 cases lodged in connection with the Bikru incident. (HT Photo)

Significantly, this is the first sentencing into the 34 cases lodged in connection with the Bikru incident. To recall, the Bikru shootout was planned by slain gangster Vikas Yadav. He and his men ambushed a police team on the night of July 2. The cross firing went on for some time, leaving eight cops -- including a deputy SP -- dead.

Shyamu Bajpai is accused of hiding the weapons that were used for the ambush. Later, on July 8, Bajpai was taken to the spot by the police for the recovery of weapons. However, in a bid to escape, he fired upon the police team. Nevertheless, he could not make the escape and sustained injuries in police retaliation.

According to public prosecutor Raju Porwal, the testimonies of witnesses and forensic report played a crucial role in securing the conviction of Bajpai. He added that forensic experts had taken nitrite residues off the hand of Shyamu Bajpai in the hospital. Notably, sodium nitrate is released from a firearm when it is fired. The nitrite residues remain on the body of the person, who takes the shot, for about 72 hours.

Porwal said the anti-dacoity court accepted nitrate residue as strong evidence that was backed by testimonies. It is worth mentioning that Shyamu is one of the 44 accused in the main case, which deals with murders of eight policemen. Meanwhile, 33 related cases are remain pending in the Kanpur Dehat court.