From Friday to Friday: The Vikas Dubey story

Lucknow: Vikas Dubey was a relatively unknown name in Uttar Pradesh and its underworld till Friday, July 3.

As the sun dawned on Friday, Dubey had become the most dreaded name in the country.

Kanpur: Debris lie on the ground following the demolition of the residence of criminal Vikay Dubey, after an encounter in Bikaru village where 8 police personnel lost their lives, in Kanpur, Saturday, July 4, 2020. The encounter took place when the police team was approaching to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history-sheeter facing 60 criminal cases, on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. (PTI Photo)
Kanpur: ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar being shown a site during a visit to the Bikhru village after an encounter between the police and history sheeter Vikas Dubey and other criminals, under Chaubey Pur Police Station in Kanpur, Friday, July 3, 2020. At least 8 police personnel including a Deputy Superintendent of Police were killed in the encounter. (PTI Photo)

Eight police personnel died

He and his accomplices had shot dead eight police personnel in Bikru village under Chaubeypur police circle in cold blood.

The police team had gone to Vikas Dubey’s house in the wee hours of Friday to arrest him in a case of attempted murder.

Dubey, who had been tipped off about the police raid by some moles in the police force, was prepared with his gang and opened fire on unsuspecting police personnel.

He fled the scene with his accomplices, leaving behind a trail of blood, rage and horror.

Nationwide outrage

The incident, first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh, led to nationwide outrage and cast aspersions on the Yogi Adityanath government and the state police force.

The Kanpur police shot dead two suspects, Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey, within four hours of the incident.

In another knee-jerk reaction, the police demolished Dubey’s house in Bikru village a day after the massacre and trampled over his two vehicles and two tractors with an earthmover.

The action made political leaders like former Union Minister Salman Khurshid question the legality of the action and the action on his family earned him support from the Brahmin community.

Station officer Vinay Tiwari and inspector K.K. Sharma were suspended after their call detail records confirmed their conversation with the gangster. The two were arrested on Wednesday.

As investigations progressed, the political connections of Vikas Dubey grabbed headlines. His photographs with top political leaders across the political spectrum added to the discomfiture of the people in power and in the opposition.

Investigations revealed that Vikas had amassed wealth and property through deals in real estate, liquor business and contracts.

Political parties indulged in mud-slinging and played the blame game as the STF hunted down and killed his lieutenant Amar Dubey on Wednesday in Hamirpur and Bauan Dubey in Etawah. Prabhat Mishra, who was arrested from Faridabad on Wednesday, was shot dead in an encounter on Thursday – ironically, at the same spot where Vikas Dubey would later be felled on Friday.

Fifty teams of State Police, STF

Vikas Dubey, meanwhile, remained elusive for the police. Fifty teams of state police and Special Task Force raided all his hideouts and picked up his relatives in an attempt to mount pressure on the gangster.

The borders of the state were sealed and frantic searches were carried out on the highways while Vikas remained holed up in a relative’s house in Kanpur itself for two days.

He then managed to reached Faridabad where he was caught in a CCTV camera at a hotel. The police reached after he had left.

Every move of Vikas Dubey was hungrily lapped up by the media, turning the gangster into a much-dreaded don almost overnight.

Police arrested Vikas in MP

Even as the police continued its attempts to arrest the gangster, Vikas quietly slipped into Madhya Pradesh and then to Ujjain. On Thursday morning, he went to the famous Mahakaal temple where he revealed his identity and got himself arrested.