At least eight police personnel of Uttar Pradesh Police, including a deputy superintendent of police, were killed in an encounter with criminals in Kanpur in the wee hours of Friday, police said on Friday. Four police personnel who were injured in the encounter are being treated at a hospital.
The encounter took place when the police team was approaching to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history-sheeter facing 60 criminal cases, in Dikru village under Chaubeypur police station on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, police said.
An investigation into the Kanpur encounter case has begun.
The police team had gone to conduct a raid in search of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey. The team had gone to Bikru Village which lies under the jurisdiction of Kanpur Dehat's Shivli Police Station.
As the police team was about to reach the hideout of the dreaded criminal, a hail of bullets was showered on them from a building rooftop, leaving Deputy SP Devendra Mishra, three sub-inspectors and four constables dead, officials said.
Giving details of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police HC Awasthi said the notorious criminal might have got an inkling of the impending raid.
He and his henchmen put up massive roadblocks to prevent the police personnel from proceeding towards their hideout. As the police team was caught unawares, the criminals fired at them from a building rooftop leading to the deaths, Awasthi said.
We have started the combing operation. Eight Police personnel died, four were injured, they are being treated at the hospital. Police from neighbouring districts Kannauj and Kanpur Dehat have also been called: JN Singh, ADG Kanpur zone https://t.co/5LjHZDZE7W pic.twitter.com/WXc4vv8Js0
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 3, 2020
Dubey is accused of killing BJP's Santosh Shukla in 2001 inside the Shivli Police Station. Shukla was a minister during Rajnath Singh's government in Uttar Pradesh. According to sources, Dubey has around 57 criminal cases registered against him.
Senior Superintendent of Police and Inspector General took stock of the situation while forensics teams also examined the area.
According to sources, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has spoken to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and Director-General of Police and has sought a report in the matter. The CM has also ordered strict action against the accused.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid tributes to the slain policemen and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to their family members.
(With inputs from Shivendra Shrivastava and PTI)