UP: Cop suspended after eight officers get killed in encounter
The Uttar Pradesh Police has suspended the Station Officer of Chaubeypur police station, suspecting him of tipping-off history-sheeter Vikas Dubey before a raid on Friday. During the raid, Dubey managed to escape while his men killed eight police officers. The incident occurred in Bikru village in Kanpur. The police have now launched a state-wide search for Dubey. Here are more details.
The UP Police Special Task Force (STF) is questioning Chaubeypur Police Station SO Vinay Tiwari for suspected links to Dubey, The Indian Express reported. DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthy said Tiwari was being investigated for his "role in the case." The police suspect that Dubey was tipped-off before the raid, which allowed his men to hold off the police while he escaped.
Early Friday, the police had gone to arrest Dubey in connection with an attempt to murder case. Dubey—a former zila panchayat member—has a criminal record involving attempted murder, kidnapping, extortion, and rioting. A team of around 20 policemen reached Bikru village around 1:30 am to arrest Dubey, but they were met with heavy gunfire by automatic weapons. Eight cops died while seven were injured.
Inspector General (IG), Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal told TIE that Dubey's men were well-prepared, and "the informant could be from the police itself." The IG said, if found guilty, the police personnel could be sent to jail and dismissed. A senior police officer told the publication that they are looking into call details between Dubey and suspended SO Tiwari.
The SO reportedly raised suspicion over his failure to prepare the police team before they went to arrest Dubey, a known criminal. ADG, Kanpur Zone, Jai Narain Singh, said a PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) or SWAT team could have been sent with a better assessment.
The police have booked 21 people, mostly Bikru residents, and 50-60 unidentified persons in connection with the killing of the eight police personnel. They have also launched a state-wide search operation for Dubey. According to NDTV, so far, over 25 police teams have conducted raids at over 100 locations. The police are also conducting searches near the state's border with Nepal and other states.
Dubey's house in Lucknow was found locked. His mother and sister-in-law were picked up from his brother's house for questioning and were later released, TIE reported. According to NDTV, a cash reward for Tiwari has been raised to Rs. 1 lakh.
Separately, on Saturday, Dubey's house in Bikru was razed by the Kanpur district administration. According to TIE, a police team was present at the spot and said the locals had accused Dubey of usurping their land to build the house, spread over 10,000 sq ft. Two SUVs parked on the premises were also damaged. However, the police later denied involvement in the demolition.
