The death of dreaded UP gangster Vikas Dubey in a shootout near Kanpur on Friday morning brings to a close, a sordid chapter in the state’s crime history. While families of eight policemen slain by the gangster in a deadly ambush praised the police action, there are political parties which have alleged that the encounter was ‘fake’ and ‘preplanned’.

Some activists have argued why the Special Task Force men fired at a criminal who was unable to escape. They are raising questions about the encounter. These same activists were silent when a violent mob lynched two sadhus near Palghar in Maharashtra, but are now shedding tears over the death of a history-sheeter who murdered eight UP policemen in cold blood, and in a brutal manner.

I agree everybody has the right to ask questions in a democracy and the police must give answers.

Why did police change his vehicle?
The UP police described how the vehicle in which gangster Vikas Dubey was sitting was changed because of a standard operation procedure, so that others should not know in which vehicle the accused was travelling.

How did police vehicle slipped?
The police also explained how a herd of cattle came right in front of the vehicle, and in trying to avoid hitting them, the vehicle upturned, giving the criminal a chance to escape. The police also explained that the media vehicles which were following the STF convoy were not stopped, but had to halt at the toll plaza for the routine mandatory checks.

Why wasn’t he handcuffed?
The police also explained that Vikas was not handcuffed because of certain guidelines given by courts in the past. According to these guidelines, an accused need not be handcuffed unless it is absolutely required. He was sitting between two police inspectors inside the vehicle.

I have also a question to ask. Who are the people who are raising questions and what is their motive? Do they have a political motive in putting UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the dock? Yogi’s motive has been clear right from day one. He had been saying that the majesty of UP police must remain strong, it must not be diluted through political interference. If a gangster who murders eight policemen escapes to live a comfortable life, whether inside jail or outside, tell me, which policeman will dare to risk his life to catch a criminal?

Imagine the storm and pandemonium that would have been created, had Vikas Dubey fled after the vehicle upturned. That is why, I insist that citizens should first look towards the families of those eight innocent policemen who were ambushed and murdered in cold blood. Some of them have lost their sons, some have lost their husbands and fathers.

We should listen to what the family members of these slain policemen are saying, instead of finding loopholes in the police version about the encounter. We should also listen to those, whose family members were tortured and murdered by Vikas Dubey’s henchmen in the past. These people had no hope for justice and their tears have dried over the years. When they got news of the death of the gangster, tears of happiness flowed from their eyes. Some of them welcomed local policemen by garlanding them.

I want to say that gangster Vikas Dubey, who cared two hoots for the police and the system, had to face police bullets because of his atrocious acts. He had gone to Lord Mahakaal in the hope of survival, but the Lord rejected his plea. He got his punishment that every dreaded criminal deserves. He had challenged the government, the system and the entire police force by ambushing policemen.

He was a man reviled even by his own family members. His parents refused to come to his funeral. On hearing news of his son’s death, Vikas’ father said, police has done the right thing because he always tortured people and did not even spare his parents.

Most of the opposition parties have questioned the police version about the encounter. BSP supremo Mayawati demanded a probe under Supreme Court’s supervision, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the encounter was done “to hide secrets”. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted an Urdu couplet to say that ‘silence is better than many answers, as it protects the honour of the one to whom questions are addressed’.

I want to tell the leaders who are trying to make political capital out of this, to limit their queries to the encounter only. They have the right to demand a probe, but they should keep politics out of this for now, at least, because it concerns the image and honour of the state police force. They should instead think about the families of slain policemen who were killed by Dubey’s henchmen. They must understand that a criminal has no caste, no religion, no political party. A criminal is always used by others and this needs to be stopped. Criminalization of politics must stop.

To sum up: Vikas Dubey was, no doubt, a hardened criminal. He took advantage of his caste, and helped Samajwadi Party, BSP and some BJP leaders too. He had created a reign of terror in his locality, used muscle power and intimidation during elections, hired several policemen as his moles inside the force, never cared two hoots for his old parents, nor his children.

The day he ambushed eight policemen it was clear that he had no fear of law. Some people even say that even if he was put behind bars and court proceedings were launched, nobody would have dared to appear as witness again him. Instead policemen would have been making rounds of courts to prepare a case against the gangster. There was no guarantee that he would not have murdered more policemen, had he come out on parole.

Those who are raising questions about the encounter must understand that it is very difficult for the prosecution to get a dreaded don like him convicted in court. You have heard what Vikas’ father said. He said, his son was a danger to society. Punishment must be meted out to such hardened criminals who are a blot on society.

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