UP forms one-member judicial committee to investigate Vikas Dubey’s rise, alleged nexus with police
The panel will also investigate every single encounter between the police and the other accused in the Kanpur shootout between July 3 and July 10.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday formed a judicial panel to investigate the rise of gangster Vikas Dubey and his alleged nexus with the police, The Indian Express reported. Retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shashi Kant Agarwal will lead the committee, of which he is the only member.
Dubey was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain city on Thursday for the murder of eight policemen in a shootout in Kanpur’s Bikru village on July 3. He was killed in police custody on Friday morning.
“The incident of [the night of] July 2-3 and July 10 linked to Vikas Dubey and his associates, and all the encounters between the given dates are an issue of public importance,” a statement by Uttar Pradesh’s Information Department said. “Thus, there should be an inquiry into the same.”
The Information Department added that the commission will also investigate every single encounter between the police and the other accused in the Kanpur shootout case, between July 3 and July 10. The police have also killed five of Dubey’s aides.
On Saturday, the Adityanath-led government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the deaths of the eight policemen. The probe team will be headed by Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Bhoosreddy. The state government has directed the Special Investigation Team to submit its report in the case by July 31.
The Uttar Pradesh government said that the special team will investigate what action was taken against Dubey in connection with the criminal cases filed against him. The SIT will also probe how many police officers came into contact with Dubey over the last one year. The state government added that the probe team will also inquire into how Dubey and his aides got weapon licenses despite their criminal record.
Dubey had more than 60 criminal cases against him, including murder and extortion. He was arrested previously on many occasions but was not convicted in any of the cases.