SIT set up to investigate Dubey’s links with cops
PROBE Action taken against gangster in the past also under scanner
LUCKNOW/KANPUR: Authorities in Uttar Pradesh constituted on Saturday a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe various aspects of the Kanpur ambush involving gangster Vikas Dubey’s men who killed eight police personnel on July 3, according to a statement by the state government.
The SIT will be headed by senior Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) and additional chief secretary Sanjay Bhoosreddy, and will look into a failed raid that eventually led to the ambush, the nature of action taken against Dubey and his group in the past few years, and the gangster’s alleged links with policemen and government employees, the statement said.
The SIT, which also comprises two Indian Police Service officers — additional director general of police Hari Ram Sharma and deputy inspector general (DIG) of police J Ravinder Goud, was asked to submit its findings by July 31, the statement added. It will also look into whether there was any intelligence failure on the firepower possessed by Dubey’s gang.
The probe will focus on whether “...steps were taken to get Dubey and his men convicted in court, and what action was taken by police personnel posted at Chaubeypur police station and other supervisory police officers in complaints against Dubey and his gang members”, a senior home department official said.
Dubey’s Bikru village, where the late-night attack on the police team was carried out, falls in the jurisdiction of Chaubeypur police station.
The government said the SIT will analyse the call records from Dubey’s cellphone over the last 12 months to find out if policemen were in touch with him, and recommend action against them if their involvement is established.
The SIT will also probe what action was taken to cancel the bail of “such a dreaded criminal”, and give its opinion on getting a probe conducted by the income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the properties and sources of income of all the accused.
The SIT has been asked to make a list of all policemen and government officials associated with Dubey for a long time.
A senior police officer, who is associated with the case, said subinspector Vinay Tiwari, the Chaubeypur station officer in charge at the time of the ambush, and sub-inspector KK Sharma were arrested on charges of tipping off Dubey, who was shot dead on Friday.
Separately, a magisterial probe will be held into Dubey’s death. An inspector-level officer, too, will look into the matter.
Earlier in the day, four people were arrested from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh over their links with Dubey and the July 3 ambush that prompted a five-day manhunt for the gangster who faced 60 criminal cases.
The manhunt ended with police arresting him from Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on Thursday. He was killed while being brought back to Kanpur after he snatched a pistol and tried to escape, police said.
Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad arrested Arvind Ramvilas Trivedi, 46, an aide to Dubey, and his driver, Sushilkunar alias Sonu Tiwari, 30, from Thane. Trivedi was wanted for the shootout.
The Uttar Pradesh police separately arrested two people from Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior for allegedly harbouring members of Dubey’s gang for over four days before they moved to another hideout. JN Singh, the additional director general of police (Kanpur Zone), identified the two as Om Prakash Pandey and Anil Pandey.