Vikas Dubey arrested in Ujjain

Bhopal: Gangster Vikas Dubey, wanted in connection with the Kanpur ambush in which eight policemen were killed, was arrested from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, an official said.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra confirmed the development. He told reporters that Dubey is in the state police's custody in Ujjain.

The minister, however, did not confirm if the dreaded gangster, who was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on information leading to his arrest, was nabbed from within or outside the Mahakal temple premises.

Meanwhile, two more aides of Dubey were gunned down in separate encounters in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

While Kartikeya alias Prabhat was killed in Kanpur when he tried to flee from police custody, Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey was shot dead in an encounter in Etawah, they added.

Kartikeya, who was arrested from Faridabad on Wednesday, was being brought to Kanpur on transit remand when he snatched the pistol of a policeman and tried to flee, ADG, Law and Order Prashant Kumar said.

"The encounter took place in the Panki area of Kanpur when a police team was bringing Kartikeya alias Prabhat from Faridabad to Kanpur on transit remand. The police vehicle had a flat tyre. Taking advantage of the situation, Kartikeya tried to flee after snatching the pistol of a policeman," he said.

Kartikeya opened fire at the policemen accompanying him, injuring two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, and was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, the officer said.

Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey, wanted in connection with last week's Kanpur ambush, was killed in an encounter in Etawah, the police said.

"The police team surrounded a person at about 4.30 am and he was killed in an exchange of fire. The deceased was identified as Praveen alias Bauwa Dubey, who was wanted in connection with the Kanpur ambush. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on information leading to his arrest," Etawah Superintendent of Police (SP) Akash Tomar said.

Eight policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were ambushed in Bikru village in the Chaubeypur area of Kanpur, where they had gone to arrest Vikas Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops last Friday.

Five persons have so far been killed in separate police encounters since the Kanpur ambush.

Earlier, Amar Dubey was killed in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur on Wednesday, while Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey were gunned down in an encounter in Kanpur on July 3.