Vikas Dubey, accused in 64 cases, was shot dead last month while escaping, police said.
Repeated bails to Vikas Dubey led to much suffering in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said today, referring to the arch-criminal who killed eight police officers who had gone to capture him last month. Despite having 64 cases, including those of murder, abduction and extortion against him, Vikas Dubey was roaming free.
Pointing to the fact, the Chief Justice today refused the bail of a man, observing that Uttar Pradesh is suffering because Vikas Dubey, despite having 64 cases against him, was repeatedly released on bail..
"You (the petitioner) are a dangerous man... can't release you on bail," CJI Justice SA Bobde said.
"See what happened in the other case (Vikas Dubey encounter). UP is suffering because someone with 64 cases was released on bail," the Chief Justice of India added.
Vikas Dubey was killed last month, caught after a seven-day manhunt following the pre-dawn ambush of the police team in Kanpur. The police said he was shot while attempting to escape from the custody of the police team which was transferring him from Ujjain to Kanpur.
His death and the Kanpur killing will be the focus of an investigation by a panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. "Letting Dubey out on bail is the most important factor to probe and it led to all these consequences," the Supreme Court had said.
In a previous hearing, Justice Bobde had told the UP government that it was "appalling" that the gangster had been out of jail despite 64 cases against him.
The case and the subsequent allegations of a nexus between the local police and the Vikas Dubey gang has had political ripples.
Opposition leaders including the Congress and Trinamool Congress raised questions about the "goonda raj" in Uttar Pradesh during the BJP regime.
Ahead of the state elections, lawlessness was one of the major issues flagged by the BJP.