‘Dubey arrest staged to avoid encounter’

■ Congress questions the way fugitive was arrested in a temple

The dramatic manner in which the dreaded Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey landed in police net while visiting Mahakal temple in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday raised many eyebrows here with Congress wondering if his arrest was “scripted” to save him from encounter death at the hands of UP police.

The gangster’s run from UP police after allegedly killing eight police personnel in Bikru in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh on July two ended in pilgrim town of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday when he was arrested inside the Mahakal temple.

Vikash had exhibited weird behvour leading to his arrest in the famous 18th century shrine, provoking Opposition Congress to ask if his arrest was ‘staged’.

Vikas walked into the temple knowing full well that he was under surveillance of CCTV installed in high security shrine; former minister and senior Congress leader Raja Pateria said and wondered, “How could he overlook this”.

Besides, Mr Pateria maintained, the gangster gave his true identity while procuring the VIP entry pass at the temple counter.

“Didn’t it occur to his mind that he was leaving evidence by getting the entry pass in his name”, he questioned.

“Is it a mere coincidence that a minister in the

Shivraj Singh Chouhan was in-charge of poll affairs of BJP in Kanpur in 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and the gangster chose MP to get him arrested to avoid encounter death at the hands of UP police”, the Congress leader questioned and added all these questions were raging minds of many people.

Congress demanded a judicial probe into the gangster’s arrest.

Vikas had travelled nearly 1250 km from his village of Bikru after committing the horrific crime before ending his ‘hide and seek’ game with police in Ujjain temple on Thursday.

He had found his hideouts in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan before reaching Ujjain temple, a senior police officer here told this newspaper unwilling to be quoted, since he was not authorized to speak to media.

— PTI Migrants from Rajasthan and West Bengal wait to board a Shramik train at Chennai Central Railway Station during Unlock 2.0 in Chennai on Thursday.

— PTI Police personnel inspect the site of the encounter in which Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey, who was wanted in connection with the Kanpur ambush, was killed in Etawah on Thursday.