LUCKNOW: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in coordination with UP Special Task Force (STF), has begun an investigation into the financial network of slain gangster Vikas Dubey after registering a money laundering case on Saturday.
The police authorities are also tightening the noose against Dubey’s associates across the country. In a turn of events, Maharashtra ATS has arrested Dubey’s two aides - Guddan Trivedi and Suresh Tiwari - in Thane on Saturday. While Guddan Trivedi was present at Dubey’s house during the ambush on police party on July 2, Suresh alias Sonu was working as the gangster's driver.
The sources claimed that the gangster had amassed huge properties running into crores in Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Recently, he had bought two penthouses in Thailand and Dubai. His declared and undeclared assets are now under ED scanner. The sources added that Dubey had bought an accommodation worth Rs 20 crore recently Lucknow. He was believed to have 11 independent houses and 16 flats across the country besides 150 bigha land in Bikru, his ancestral village.
Dubey, the main accused of killing eight cops during a police operation against him in Bikru village in Kanpur, was killed in a police encounter when he tried to flee the police custody while being brought back to Kanpur. Dubey was arrested from Mahakal temple in Ujjain on Thursday morning.
As per the sources, an ED team from its Lucknow regional office had visited Kanpur recently to meet top police authorities of that city including IG Mohit Agarwal. The directorate has also kept his financers and supporters on the radar.
A highly-placed source claimed that ED officials of Lucknow region are already prepared with the details of legal and illegal assets of Vikas Dubey and his henchmen, including those who were involved in his illegal money transaction network.
It is believed that at present, Jai Bajpai, one of Dubey's associates, is keeping his network running. Bajpai is believed to be involved in money lending business in Kanpur with crores of rupees as interest. The source claimed that ED has also sought information about the property and bank details of Jai Bajpai and others in this illegal financial network from Kanpur police.
The sources further said as per information furnished to ED by the Kanpur police, Dubey had travelled to around 15 countries during the last three years.
Meanwhile, a team of STF went to Ujjain to look for those who had helped Dubey in the city before he was arrested on Thursday morning.