Indian gangster accused of killing 8 policemen shot dead in custody

By Iqbal Abhimanyu

New Delhi, July 10 (efe-epa).- An Indian gangster, wanted for the killing of eight police officers, was on Friday shot dead during an alleged escape attempt, a day after his arrest.

Vikas Dubey was killed in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh when he tried to flee after the car in which was taken to detention overturned, police said.

He had been on the run for over a week following the deadly ambush of a police party on July 2 in which eight policemen, who had gone to catch him, were killed.

The gangster had allegedly received a tipoff about the raid.

The police launched a headline-grabbing manhunt spread across three Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.

He was arrested on Thursday at a famous temple in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar told EFE that Dubey, a “notorious criminal”, tried to escape after the car met a “serious accident” around 7 am and the officers escorting him got injured.

“He snatched the pistol from one of the policemen and tried to flee. He fired on the policemen,” Kumar said, adding he got injured in the retaliatory fire.

“He was declared dead at a hospital.”

Police said he was wanted in over 60 cases of various offenses, including murders and attempted murder.

Police killed several of Dubey’s accomplices in shootouts during the manhunt.

Authorities have arrested two officers on charges of helping the criminal, raising serious doubts on the police’s functioning and their version of events.

There are allegations about the gangster’s political links.

On Thursday, videos aired by news broadcasters showed the gangster being held by a group of police officers against a vehicle at the temple in Ujjain.

The video shows him identifying himself by shouting “Vikas Dubey from Kanpur.”

One of the officers is seen responding immediately by hitting Dubey on the neck.

Authorities had confirmed the arrest of the gangster. However, there was no clarification on how he managed to cross several state borders despite the widespread manhunt or if he had surrendered voluntarily.

Dubey had fled from Kanpur after the July 2 deadly ambush on the police.

There are allegations that he may have been tipped off about the raid by members of the Kanpur police, according to media reports.