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Videos tangle matters further in UP gangster Vikas Dubey’s encounter puzzle
Vikas Dubey, wanted in connection with the killing of eight policemen in Kanpur last Friday, is said to have attempted an escape after the UP police vehicle he was travelling in overturned.
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Videos that have surfaced after notorious criminal Vikas Dubey was shot dead early on Friday morning while he was being taken to Kanpur have raised several questions about what the police said was an encounter.
Vikas Dubey, wanted in connection with the killing of eight policemen in Kanpur last Friday, is said to have attempted an escape after the UP police vehicle he was travelling in overturned.
The police said Dubey snatched a gun from an injured policeman and was asked to surrender but he opened fire, forcing them to fire back.
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“After the car overturned, Vikas Dubey tried to snatch a Police weapon and attempted to flee after which there was retaliatory fire by police in which he was injured. He was declared dead after being taken to hospital. We’ll issue an official statement soon,” said UP ADG law & order Prashant Kumar.
On the question of Dubey having snatched a police weapon, Dr NC Asthana, former DGP Kerala, highlighted that rules mandate that cops must secure their weapons by lanyards. The former Kerala top cop also pointed out that dangerous criminals are handcuffed, raising questions about Dubey’s escaping act.
He then shared a video spotlighting the road condition and how an overturned car had all its doors closed.
A video of three cars crossing a toll plaza early this morning shows Dubey travelling in a car different from the one that was seen flipped on the highway, which the police said was a result of a road accident. The police are yet to comment on how and when the cars were switched.
In another video taken at 6:30 am, media persons who were following the convoy bringing back the gangster were stopped by police in Sachendi area of Kanpur. This happened a little while before the encounter took place.
The encounter triggered sharp attacks from opposition parties who alleged that the gangster arrested less than 24 hours earlier from a temple in Ujjain had been killed to shield the people who had protected him.
“Dead men tell no tales,” former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said in a tweet after news of the encounter emerged.
