Vikas Dubey, the dreaded don's crime journey and the end by bullets

New Delhi: Dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey, who was wanted in at least 60 cases and was on the run after Kanpur massacre, was on Friday (July 10) killed during an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). 

According to reports, Dubey was brought back from Ujjain to Kanpur on Friday morning and was to be produced before the Kanpur Mati court at 10 am. While on the way to the STF office, Dubey reportedly snatched arms of a police personnel. During this, the STF car carrying the gangster lost its control and overturned near Barra in Kanpur. 

Sources said that the gangster, while attempting to flee from the spot, fired at the personnel, resulting in the STF firing on him in self-defence. The STF had reportedly tried to make him surrender before opening fire on him.

Dubey was shot at in the retaliatory fire during the encounter and was killed. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctors. "Gangster Vikas Dubey killed in an encounter when he tried to flee after a road accident," said IG, Kanpur Mohit Agarwal. Four police personnel, including two Inspectors, were also injured in the encounter. Their conditions are said to be out of danger.

We take a look at the journey of Vikas Dubey as a criminal over the years:

A dreaded Kanpur gangster, Vikas Dubey was an infamous history-sheeter in Uttar Pradesh and had over 60 cases in his name. He was known to have murdered a minister in the former Rajnath Singh government in UP. In 2001, Vikas Dubey barged into a police station and gunned down Santosh Shukla, who was then a minister in the Rajnath Singh-led UP government. He was, however, acquitted in the case due to lack of enough evidence against him.
 
Vikas Dubey's journey into the world of crime began in 1990’s. Over the years, he gained notreity as a dreaded gangster and was named in several cases of attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion and rioting.

In 2002, Vikas Dubey grabbed huge tracts of land by illegal means and amassed massive properties in Kanpur and surrounding areas. During this time, Vikas Dubey fully dominated the Kanpur city along with Bilhaur, Shivrajpur, Rinyan and Choubepur areas.

In 2000, he was named in the murder of Siddheshwar Pandey, an Assistant Manager of Tarachand Inter College in Shivali police station area of Kanpur. He is also said to have plotted the murder of Rambabu Yadav from within the jail in the same year.

In 2004, Dubey was accused of the murdering cable businessman Dinesh Dubey.

In 2018, he carried out a deadly attack on his cousin Anurag and had plotted the entire plan from within the premises of Mati jail. Anurag's wife had named four people, including Vikas Dubey, in the attack. 

Vikas Dubey had also won the election of Nagar panchayat in Shivrajpur while being lodged in jail.

Earlier this year, Dubey was booked for two criminal cases. The cases were filed on charges of kidnapping, attempt to murder, and extortion.

He also has businesses in the real estate sector and has several considerable assets in the village.

The gangster is also accused of extorting money from big businessmen. Police investigation has revealed that he used to earn a hefty amount in the name of getting contracts for his close aides and vacating the properties.

At least eight policemen including senior police officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police and four constables were shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur during a police raid to nab noted history-sheeter Vikas Dubey's house on July 2 late night. 

Teams from three police stations had gone to Bithoor's Dikru village in Chaubepur police station area in search of Vikas Dubey, who has 60 cases registered against him. A raid was planned at his village after he was accused in a fresh attempt to murder case.