Vikas Dubey was arrested after he was spotted at Mahakal temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
Highlights
- The notorious criminal is charged in 60 cases including murder
- The gangster was arrested after he was spotted at Mahakal temple
- Footage shows Vikas Dubey slammed against a police van
In police custody after a dramatic chase that ended at a temple on Thursday morning, Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey shouted out "Main Vikas Dubey hoon, Kanpur wala!" The notorious criminal, charged in 60 cases including murder, made the startling admission after five days of running from the police, driving from UP to Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after the Friday massacre in which eight policemen were killed.
The gangster was arrested more than 600 km from his home in Kanpur, UP, after he was spotted at the famous Mahakal temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Seen in a white striped t-shirt, he bought prayer offerings from a shop before entering the temple. The shopkeeper alerted the security guards, who confronted him when he stepped out.
In the end, Vikas Dubey's arrest was relatively quick. There was an argument with the security guards and a physical fight, after which he was taken to the police.
Footage shows Vikas Dubey slammed against a police van and cuffed on the head. "Main Vikas Dubey hoon, Kanpur wala! (I am Vikas Dubey of Kanpur)," he yelled out. "Awaaz Nahin (keep quiet)!" - a policeman said, slapping him.
Eight policemen were killed on Friday when they went in a large team to Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur to arrest Vikas Dubey in an attempted murder case.
Dubey had allegedly been alerted to the raid by local policemen and had set up an ambush. When the policemen reached the village, Dubey and his men, armed with AK-47s, fired from rooftops.
The notorious gangster escaped after the killings. A massive hunt was launched and the bounty on him was raised to Rs 5 lakh.
Questions are being raised on the manner of the arrest and how the criminal drove from UP to Haryana through Rajasthan and ended up in Ujjain.
"We could not arrest Vikas Dubey and he surrendered in Ujjain. We could not arrest him even after such a huge incident and he kept travelling around. This should be investigated," tweeted Amitabh Thakur, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted in Uttar Pradesh.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also raised questions about whether it was an arrest or surrender. "We hear that the main accused of the Kanpur-Kand is now in police custody. If true, then the government should clarify whether this was a surrender or arrest. Also his call records should be made public so the nexus can be exposed," the former UP Chief Minister tweeted.