SC may order probe by retd judge-led panel

The Supreme Court on Tuesday hinted to order a probe by a panel headed by a retired judge into the encounter killings of gangster Vikas Dubey near Kanpur and five of his henchmen while seeking the Uttar Pradesh government's response within two days by Thursday on pleas for probe by a special investigation team (SIT).

A Bench headed by CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde with Justices AS Bopanna and R Subhash Reddy sought the UP government's response on Thursday and posted the matter for further hearing on next Monday. It dropped hints of a retired judge heading the probe as ordered by it also in the Hyderabad encou nter case of last December.

It, however, made it clear the court itself is not inclined to monitor any probe. Appearing for the UP government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he would not take an adversarial stand as he is also concerned about elimination of a life by the police.

Several petitions are before the apex court, including one by arrested police inspector KK Sahrma, moved through his wife Vinita Sirohi, seeking protection as he has apprehensions he might also be bumped of through "illegal and unconstitutional means." He and three other cops were suspended on July 5 for allegedly tipping off Dubey about the police raid on July 3 leading to killing of eight cops, including DSP Devendra Mishra, in an ambush in Bikru village of Chaubeypur area of Kanpur.

People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), whose petition of 2018 is pending on the police encounters in Uttar Pradesh between January 2017 and March 2018, has moved a petition, seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT)-monitored probe into the killings of Dubey and his associates, Amar Dubey and Prabhat Mishra, as also in the criminal-political nexus in the state.