Dubey played judge, settled disputes in ‘panchayats’

KANPUR: Jai Bajpai, who is now being questioned for his links with gangster Vikas Dubey, was handling his dirty money and his location was close to the Bikru village where the hardened criminal murdered eight policemen, including a deputy SP and three sub-inspectors on July 3.

Bajpai, who embodies the rags to riches story, was taken into custody when he tried to get rid of his three expensive vehicles, which he abandoned taking off the registration plates on the morning of July 4. He first underwent sustained questioning in Kanpur where he could not divulge his source of income, assets and why he bought his vehicles in the name of other people. The UP STF leading the operation to hunt down Vikas Dubey took custody of Bajpai and his wife and took them to Lucknow on Monday.

Officials, privy to the investigation, said Bajpai denied any links with Dubey but cracked after he was confronted with evidences: his call records showed he was in regular touch with criminal, his location was close to Bikru and he made a payment of Rs 15 lakh to Dubey.

It has emerged that Jai Bajpai was handling the finances of Vikas Dubey. He would take money from him at 2% interest rate and float it in the market at 5%. The background of Bajpai is also shady as he worked at a printing press and his father had a paan shop seven years ago. Overnight their financial status changed.

The police have a list of his eight flats and15 houses in Kanpur’s Brahm Nagar and Panki. An official said Jai and his brother Rajay were active in politics and were business partners with an SP MLA and Dubey.