Police arrest three aides from Faridabad
FARIDABAD: It was around 12.30pm on Tuesday that Vikas Dubey, now being hunted for the murder of eight policemen who went to arrest him on July 3, checked out of a hotel in Faridabad’s Badhkal Chowk, seemingly always a step ahead of the police.
Missing since the July 3 gunfight, Dubey is believed to have reached Faridabad sometime over the weekend to escape police in Uttar Pradesh.
In the NCR suburb, the gangster is believed to have stayed at multiple location, including first at a residence in Sector 87, from where three people were held.
Among them was a man identified as Prabhat, who also goes by Kartikey, and is one of Dubey’s close aides to accompanied him from Kanpur. The other two were residents of the house, including one person who has tested positive for Covid, and are now under arrest for harbouring a fugitive.
We received a tip-off about Dubey’s presence after which raids were carried out, said Anil Yadav, ACP (crime), Faridabad. According to him, UP police too was alerted and had arrived to scan CCTV footage and question the hotel staff. “Dubey was seen leaving alone. We received another secret information and crime teams worked on technical surveillance and a raid was conducted in Indira Complex in Sector 87 following which three close aides tried to escape the spot while firing at police teams but were arrested,” he said.
Romi Passi, the manager of hotel Oyo Shri Sasaram said a man resembling Dubey left the hotel before the cops reached. “They checked in around 12:45 am and gave a copy of Aadhar card of Ankur Mishra who accompanied him, though the copy was not clear and I asked him to give me the original copy but he was not carrying it. He said he will arrange by morning ,” he said. Passi said on Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 pm, both left the hotel. “We were shocked to see news channel flashing news and picture of our hotel. Before we could understand the matter, police reached and started investigating. I had never seen any poster or picture of the gangster.”
“We have recovered 44 live cartridges, four pistols of 9 mm and ₹3,000 from the possession of the suspects including two pistols which were looted from the UP Police,” said Yadav. “Dubey left for Delhi as he suspected police was tracking his locations and he was willing to surrender before the Delhi court as he feared for his life,” he added, citing the questioning of the people.