LUCKNOW: Vikas Dubey, the absconding dreaded criminal and main accused behind the killing of eight cops in Bikru village of Kanpur last week, has joined the list of top three criminals of the state carrying a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head.
The other two criminals carrying the same amount as cash reward include Badan Singh Baddo, who belongs to Meerut and is the most wanted criminal of western UP. The other one is Ashutosh, who has made a name in committing big loots and heists and is still evading arrest.
Other than these three, 19 listed criminals are there who have a cash reward of over Rs 50, 000 on their heads.
UP police claimed that they were making all-out efforts to net gangster Dubey. Around 40 police teams and a special task force were hunting for the dreaded gangster. “Hunt for Dubey is on from Chuabeypur to Chambal. We are not leaving any stone unturned in tracing the criminal and will be able to nab him soon,” said a senior police official.
Meanwhile, UP DGP HC Awasthi said that the force would not rest until Dubey was nabbed.
“We’re collecting information on Vikas Dubey’s accomplices and family. Until and unless we arrest Dubey and his accomplices, we will not sit quietly,” said ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar.
During the search in his demolished residence, the investigators had found a concrete bunker equipped with ultra-modern facilities. After committing the crime, Dubey used to hide in the bunker which was underground.
Besides, there was a huge haul of arms and ammunition in his hideout. The sources claimed that the weapons were plastered in the wall. “The entire house was searched and 2 kg of explosive substance, 6 country-made pistols, 15 crude bombs, and 25 cartridges were recovered,” said ADG (L&O), adding: “Where did they get such a huge cache of weapons? What weapons were used in the face-off with the police team? Information was received that someone kept it hidden at his home.”
State-wide raids to track down Dubey, who faces 60 criminal cases, are continuing. While an alert has been sounded across all 75 districts of the state, UP borders have been sealed and posters have been put up at toll plazas in the state amidst apprehensions that he might have already crossed the border.
Meanwhile, a high-level departmental probe has been initiated into the letter which was written by slain CO Devendra Mishra. IG Lucknow range Lakshmi Singh reached Chaubeypur to conduct the probe into the issue.
The letter which went viral on social media has spoken at length about the links between the criminal and Chaubeypur SO Vinay Tiwari. However, the CO had alerted the higher district police authorities over the dealings of SO Tiwari and had expressed apprehensions that if corrective steps were not taken, anything major could happen any day.
As the letter has brought the then SSP Anant Deo in limelight. It is believed that despite CO letter and the wake-up call, the then SSP did not act against either the criminal or Chaubeypur SO Vinay Tiwari who stands suspended and is under interrogation.