Vikas Dubey’s wife and son after his cremation in Kanpur on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Raising questions over the encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey, opposition Congress and BSP on Friday demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, while the Samajwadi Party said the accident, which police said prompted Dubey to attempt escape, leading to the encounter, was an effort to save the Uttar Pradesh government from toppling, lest facts came to light.

Maintaining that the BJP has turned Uttar Pradesh into “Apradh Pradesh (crime province)”, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Congress demands an inquiry into the Kanpur incident by a sitting judge of Supreme Court. “The reality of people who nurtured and helped the likes of Vikas Dubey flourish should be exposed. Justice will not be done until this nexus is exposed,” she said.

BSP chief Mayawati said, “There should be an inquiry under supervision of the Supreme Court into the Kanpur incident as well as the encounter of Vikas Dubey…” She said a high-level inquiry is necessary to ensure justice for families of the eight policemen killed by Dubey’s gang in Kanpur, as also to probe the politics-crime nexus.

Questioning the way the police vehicle carrying Dubey met with an accident, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Dar asal yeh car nahi palti hai; raaz khulne se sarkar palatne se bach gayi hai (actually, the car did not topple. It was an effort to save the government, which would have toppled if facts came to light).”

In a video message, Priyanka said: “The government’s own figures show that UP is number one in crimes against children, Dalits, women, illegal arms and weapons, murders.” Maintaining that criminals such as Dubey flourished in such atmosphere, she said, “They have big businesses and commit crimes with impunity. The entire state knows that they receive protection from the people in power.” After Dubey’s encounter, she said, “how can we assure the families of the eight slain policemen that they are getting justice…that their martyrdom has not gone in vain?”

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “How and when and in what fashion will this (politico-criminal) nexus be proved, will be found, will be revealed, and will be punished – that is a question Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Adityanath needs to answer to the people.”

He asked why Dubey was not put in the list of 25 most-wanted criminals in UP. “Is it not correct that this encounter raises more questions than answers it gives? If he had to run away, why did he go and pronounce himself, identify himself and surrender himself in Ujjain? Why were mediapersons travelling with the STF carcades stopped and not permitted to go forward just before the encounter?”

He asked why Dubey was not taken to Kanpur in a chartered plane, as was reportedly decided at first. “Dubey was seen to be travelling in a safari car of UP STF. Then how and under what circumstances was he shifted to a Mahindra TUV300 (which toppled)?”