Prabhat was minor, shot in fake encounter by police, says family

Kanpur: The encounter killings of gangster Vikas Dubey and his five aides, already under Supreme Court scrutiny, dragged UP Police in a fresh controversy after the family of Prabhat Mishra alias Kartikeya claimed Prabhat was a minor, had no criminal history and was killed in a fake encounter. Prabhat, an alleged sharpshooter of Dubey was shot by police while being escorted from Faridabad to Kanpur.
Displaying his high school certificate by UP board, Prabhat’s sister Himanshi said, “My brother was just 17 when he was shot. He was born on May 27, 2004. He passed high school with first division in 2018. We are sure he was killed in a fake encounter. Even if my brother committed a crime, who are police to decide his fate,” she asked. Police had in a press release immediately after the encounter, stated that Prabhat Mishra’s age was 20.
Breaking into sobs before reporters, Himanshi said, “Police killed my brother and planted a firearm on his body. How can one become a criminal by merely visiting a neighbour with criminal antecedents?”
Police claim Prabhat was one of accused who opened fire on a police team in Bikru village on July 3 and accompanied Dubey till Faridabad from where he was arrested on night of July 7.
A senior criminal lawyer said, “When anyone is arrested, a medico-legal certificate is prepared. In this case, the investigating officer recorded Prabhat’s age as 20. Police have no legal power to arrest a juvenile, so maybe they lied.”
Another lawyer told TOI, “When minors are nabbed, police have to produce them before Juvenile Justice Board and then put them in a correction home.”
A forensic expert said, it’s pertinent whether police conducted a powder test on his fingers to prove he fired at policemen. Prabhat’s father Rajendra Kumar works in a detergent company and is also wanted by police in Bikru ambush.
On July 9, a police team was bringing Prabhat to Kanpur on transit remand, when the tyre of their vehicle punctured near Panki. Taking advantage of the situation, Prabhat punched constable Sunil Kumar and snatched 9 mm pistol from SI Devendra and opened fire at cops, said police. Constables Vikas and Sunil were injured while SI Pravin Tyagi was hit, but was saved by his bulletproof jacket. Police fired in retaliation injuring Prabhat, who was later pronounced dead at Bara Sirohi CHC in Kalyanpur.