Obvious questions. Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla seeks the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) intervention into gangster Vikas Dubey's encounter killing earlier in the day near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh asserting that "due process of law was not followed". Poonawalla says the encounter raises many doubts.
Gangster Dubey and his accomplices were accused of killing eight policemen on July 3 in Bikru village. He was shot dead by police in retaliatory firing while trying to escape.
“The police officers should have been extremely cautious about Vikas Dubey,” said Poonawalla in a letter to NHRC.
“There are already several complaints about the illegal and unconstitutional behaviour of the Uttar Pradesh Police before court of law and human rights commission. Giving a free hand to kill surrendered accused must have brutal consequences,” he added.
“The last visuals of Dubey showed him sitting in a Tata Safari; however, the pictures of the vehicle that toppled and through which Dubey tried to escape was a Mahindra TUV.
He said that vehicles carrying media persons, who were following the police convoy in which the gangster was brought from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh, were mysteriously stopped midway just before the alleged encounter took place.
The political analyst asked as to how the SUV toppled on a perfectly good road, how did Dubey get out of the toppled vehicle despite sitting in the middle of two police officials, why were his hands not tied, and what was the police team in the escort car doing.
The letter said: “The above questions behind Vikas Dubey’s encounter raises a serious doubt that the due process of law was not followed after he had surrendered at the Mahakaal temple in Ujjain on Thursday morning. The National Human Rights Commission must take cognisance of this encounter done by the UP Police officers.”
In a bizarre development, the ‘dead’ father of slain gangster Amar Dubey, Sanjeev Dubey, came alive on Thursday evening during a police operation in the Bikru village where the ambush in which eight policemen were killed on July 3, had taken place.
Amar Dubey, a trusted lieutenant of Vikas Dubey and a co-accused in the Bikru massacre, was shot dead on Wednesday in Maudaha in Hamirpur district by STF team.
On Thursday, when the police reached the Bikru village to inform family members about Amar’s death in an encounter, they received information that his father Sanjeev was still alive. The informer led the cops to Sanjeev’s hideout, where he lived in anonymity for nearly a decade.
“Sanjiv was arrested when he came out of hiding after learning about his son’s death. During questioning, he told investigators he had survived the accident in which he lost a leg,” said a police official.
Sanjeev had 12 cases, including attempt to murder, extortion and loot against him at the Chaubeypur police station. “He went underground after a road accident seven years ago, and asked family members to spread the news of his ‘death’ to shut criminal cases against him,” said a police officer.
The opposition parties slammed the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the encounter of dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a swipe at the Yogi Adityanath government over the encounter and questioned what will happen to those who gave patronage in this case. “The culprit has been killed but what about crime and people who gave patronage?” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet.
Raising similar questions, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted in Hindi, “What was suspected has happened. Now, it will not be known which political leaders, police and other government officials was Vikas Dubey in contact with. In the last 3-4 days, two aides of Vikas Dubey have also died in encounters, but why is the pattern of the three encounters same?
“It is necessary to find out why Vikas Dubey chose Ujjain Mahakal temple in Madhya Pradesh for surrender? Who is the most influential person of Madhya Pradesh he trusted to escape the encounter of Uttar Pradesh Police?” said Singh in his tweet.
Former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also took to twitter and wrote, “Actually, his car has not overturned, but the government has been saved from turning over the secret.”
His remarks came soon after Dubey died on Friday morning after being critically injured in an alleged shootout with the STF officials on Friday morning near Kanpur. The gangster was shot when he reportedly tried to flee, following a road accident in which the vehicle he was travelling in overturned near Kanpur. Dubey was taken to the emergency ward of the Hallett Hospital. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanpur Dinesh Kumar said that the doctors have confirmed the death of Vikas Dubey.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary also slammed the BJP government over the “encounter rule” in the state and urged all the judges to resign. “After Vikas Dubey’s encounter, all the judges of the country should resign. There is no need of court in BJP’s encounter rule,” Chaudhary said in a series of tweets. “All this drama has been created to save the real culprits of killing eight policemen,” the RLD leader said in another tweet.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the encounter saying the “black truth” of the entire “syndicate” has also been “encountered” along with Dubey. “If the news of the Vikas Dubey death in the encounter is true, then accept that the black truth of the entire syndicate has also been encountered. The system has saved itself from being naked. How the story is so simple from yesterday’s visuals of Mahakal temple to the story till today morning. Proceed with this as the final truth (sic),” Jha tweeted.
According to reports, as the convoy bringing Dubey from Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain reached the Bhauti area under the Barra police circle in Kanpur on Friday morning, the vehicle in which Vikas was seated, overturned after skidding on the road due to heavy rain.
Dubey, along with two other police personnel in the vehicle, was injured in the accident. As soon as the gangster was taken out of the vehicle, he allegedly snatched a pistol from the STF team and tried to fire at the police. He was fatally injured in retaliatory firing. Dubey received a bullet injury in the chest which proved fatal. Five members of the Dubey gang have been killed in police encounters over the past seven days.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi too took a swipe at the BJP government, saying silence is better than many answers.
In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “Silence is better than many answers. Don’t know how many questions have saved the dignity.”
His remarks came after Dubey died on Friday morning after being critically injured in an alleged shootout with the UP STF officials on Friday morning near Kanpur.
Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati demanded an inquiry by the Supreme Court.Mayawati tweeted, saying, “The overturning of the police vehicle and the subsequent death of gangster Vikas Dubey in the ensuing encounter following his attempt to escape from the UP police custody must be investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court.”
“The high-level inquiry is also necessary to deliver justice to the families of the 8 policemen killed in the Kanpur massacre. The inquiry must also unravel the nexus between the police and politicians and punish all those found guilty,” Mayawati added.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti said Lord Shiva took the life of ‘demon’ Dubey for killing an honest police officer like (Circle Officer) Devendra Mishra.
The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said there was still a mystery over three things — How did he reach Ujjain? For how long did he remain in the Mahakaal Temple in Ujjain? Why did it take so long to recognise him when he could have easily been found out in CCTV footage?
She said that she would have a word on these issues with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Home Minister.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice A. K. Patnaik has said that gangster Vikas Dubey, was a threat to the rule of law and the police action was justified.
Patnaik said he does not think that the police action was wrong. Dubey was shot when he reportedly tried to flee, following a road mishap in which the vehicle he was in turned upside down. He was taken to the emergency ward of the Hallett Hospital in a blood-soaked condition.
Queried on police not following the rule of law and instead resorting to an alleged encounter, Patnaik cited the incident where the gangster was involved in gunning down policemen and described Dubey as a threat to the rule of law. When asked if police had not breached the rule of law in Dubey’s case, Patnaik insisted “I think police action is justified.”
Former Delhi High Court judge Justice R S Sodhi said that the rule of law has totally collapsed as one of its most important pillars, the judiciary, is not functioning. “When judiciary collapses then extra-judicial methods are deployed . . . Dubey breached the rule of law and the people (citing media reports) who acted on it also breached the rule of law” added Sodhi.
However, several senior retired judges of the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court refused to comment on the matter and insisted that it is too early to make a statement on this issue. (IANS)