Dubey’s encounter was genuine, Uttar Pradesh cops tell Supreme Court

Satya Prakash

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 17

Amid speculations over the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in a police encounter while being taken to Kanpur from Ujjain, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday asserted before the Supreme Court that it was a real encounter.

Also read: Encounter method is intrinsically dangerous

In an affidavit filed in response to petitions seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into Dubey’s killing, UP Director General of Police Hitesh Chandra Awasthy said the police party escorting the gangster had to fire back in self-defence after he tried to escape.

Awasthy said, “The only option available to the escort party, under the circumstances, was to fire back in self-defence.”

Denying that Dubey had surrendered at Ujjain, he said the accused was identified by cops and the Mahakal Temple authorities.

He said Dubey was not handcuffed as there were 15 police personnel and three vehicles to escort him directly to the court at Kanpur where he had to be produced by 10 am.

He said, “Dubey not only had a strong reason and motive to flee from the police custody (as he attempted to do on July 10), but had the capacity, potential and experience of attacking the police personnel and killing them which in fact happened on July 10, when he tried to escape and fire at the police party when prevented.”

Farewell to Justice Banumathi

Justice R Banumathi, who retires on July 29 as the SC Judge, on Friday said she and her family was the victim of delay and complicated legal procedures that prevented them in getting the compensation for her father’s death who died in a bus mishap. The judge, who for the last time conducted the court proceedings, said there were “mountains of obstacles for no reason” in her career.