Taking advantage of accident, Vikas Dubey attempted to flee with a service pistol belonging to one of the officers. (ANI Photo)

Prime accused in the killing of eight police personnel in Kanpur last week, history-sheeter Vikas Dubey was gunned down in an encounter after he tried to escape from police custody in Kanpur early on Friday morning.

Dubey, who was carrying a reward of Rs five lakh on his head, was arrested at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. A police team from UP had gone to Madhya Pradesh to bring him to Kanpur.

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Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kanpur, Dr Anil Kumar said a police team consisting of officials from UP’s Special Task Force (STF) and Kanpur police were bringing Dubey on a transit remand to Kanpur. At around 7.00 am, the vehicle in which Dubey was travelling overturned after it met with an accident in Sachendi area of Kanpur, he said.

Taking advantage of accident, Dubey attempted to flee with a service pistol belonging to one of the officers.

Gangster Vikas Dubey, the main accused in killing of eight policemen in the Kanpur encounter recently, being apprehended by police personnel after a nearly week-long manhunt, in Ujjain, Thursday, July 9, 2020. (PTI Photo)

In the meantime, another police team escorting the vehicle in which the gangster was travelling in, arrived at the spot. They gheroed the area and commenced a combing operation to catch Dubey.

On seeing the police team closing in on him, Dubey opened fire. The policemen tried to make Dubey surrender, but he refused and again shot at the police. Two officers were wounded in the incident.

In retaliation, the police fired at Dubey, injuring him. All three injured persons were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared Dubey dead, said Dr Kumar.

Vikas Dubey was declared dead at the hospital. (ANI Photo)

It is alleged the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle.