Three more cops suspended over Kanpur encounter
The reward for Dubey’s arrest increased to Rs 2.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh
KANPUR/LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh police have suspended three more of their men, suspecting that they tipped off Vikas Dubey whose gang members killed eight policemen in an ambush at a village near Kanpur last week. They are sub-inspectors Kunwarpal and Krishna Kumar Sharma and constable Rajiv.
Kanpur's Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar P said that a preliminary enquiry has been initiated against the three suspended policemen. Superintendent of Police (Rural Area) has been asked to probe the matter. He said an FIR would be lodged against the suspended policemen if the inquiry showed their involvement in the attack at Bikru village. Meanwhile, police also increased the reward for Dubey arrest to Rs 2.5 lakh, up from the Rs 1 lakh offered earlier. Twenty-five teams drawn from 40 police stations are conducting raids to track down the gangster, an official said. Posters carrying his picture have been put up at road toll plazas across Uttar Pradesh. We are expecting good news soon,” Kanpur Range Inspector General Mohit Agarwal said. UP Director General of Police H C Awasthy said police are conducting raids to track down the gangster, based on information they get. Posters of the gangster have been put up at all toll plazas in Uttar Pradesh.
Following the incident, police in the bordering districts of Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior and Chambal regions are in regular touch with Uttar Pradesh Police, officials said. Police had earlier suspended Vinay Tiwari, station officer at Chaubeypur station and were examining the possibility that he informed Dubey that a police team was heading to his Bikru village to arrest him. Police on Monday also said they are probing into the allegations made in a purported letter that DSP Devendra Mishra wrote weeks before his death, alleging links between the now suspended Chaubeypur station officer and gangster Vikas Dubey.
The letter, which has surfaced on social media, alleges that station officer Vinay Tiwari had got a serious charge against Dubey dropped. Billhaur Circle Officer Devendra Mishra was among the eight policemen killed in an ambush by the gangster henchmen at Bikru village near Kanpur early Friday morning.
The letter supposedly written by Mishra carries no serial number or date but a senior officer indicated that police are
looking into the allegations. Kanpur Range IG Mohit Agarwal said they have sought the file from the SSP office. We came to know about the seriousness of the allegations through the media. We will verify these and appropriate action will be taken. Let us understand the entire incident and then we will brief you with the action," he said. In Lucknow, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awnish Awasthi refused to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress accused the BJP of patronizing goons. State unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu alleged that an old video clip shows Dubey talking about his
links in the BJP.