Notwithstanding Don Vikas Dubey’s grandiose political plans to enter politics in a big way in 2024, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police felled the Kanpur gangster to three bullets in his chest and one in hand. Finally, Vikas Dubey was reduced to ashes at an electric crematorium on Saturday. The filmy style encounter sets the script for a Bollywood movie. The encounter has led the opposition and the human rights groups to challenge the authenticity and the motive behind the encounter.
It is not the first time that the Supreme Court guidelines to bring the criminals to justice instead of encounters have been flouted. The UP Police was seething with revenge as 8 of their colleagues were gunned down by Vikas and his gang. The first question that haunts the mind is why was the dreaded gangster not handcuffed? How is it possible that the gangster was not injured when the vehicle over tuned? If Vikas Dubey was trying to flee, why was he not shot in the leg to overpower him? The police went for the kill is evident from the fact that three bullets were fired at his chest!
Vikas Dubey had the cooperation from all the criminals, corrupt police, and the tainted politicians and Vikas belonged to them all – Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas (Dubey)! When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave the slogan Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas, the nation did not understand it till last week. But now the puzzle has been almost solved. The heartbeat of all those who colluded with Vikas Dubey was racing as the vehicle was moving towards Kanpur. They knew what the consequences would be when Vikas would have taken those ‘big names’ from different political parties and the supermen in Khaki. They would have been blown up in the volcano of his interrogation.
All is not lost though. The members of Vikas Dubey’s gang are still alive. They can still spill the beans. Some of these men and some of the suspended cops can be made witnesses to arrive at the truth. All suspected leaders of different political parties should be interrogated and efforts should be made to establish the guilt with forensic evidence. Phone call records must be preserved immediately. Otherwise, the case will be weakened and the criminals escape justice. If phone call records are destroyed, the criminals aspire to become chief ministers and prime ministers. We have been suffering on this account for so long as a prime criminal escaped justice.
A report in the TOI has suggested that Vikas Dubey amassed illegal wealth through Benami transactions not only in India but 14 other countries that he visited during the last three years. How did Vikas get bail despite the gruesome offences and the 60 pending cases? How could he travel out of the country without the help of the high and the mighty? While all properties can be seized by the state, Vikas Dubey’s old parents and grandmother should be granted pensions to take care of themselves. These old people are not at fault for the crimes of Vikas Dubey.
The Uttar Pradesh government has awarded one crore rupees to the kin of the 8 slain policemen. Even the service records of these slain policemen should be verified thoroughly if at any given time they had colluded in any way with Vikas Dubey. This will protect the honour of the slain policemen. If anyone was found involved with Vikas Dubey, the Rupees One Crore money awarded can go back to the state exchequer. The Rupees Eight Crores given as compensation should be deducted from the salaries and pension benefits of the colluding and suspended policemen. The colluding politicians also should be made to pay their share financially. Why should the Rs 8 Crores be paid from the tax payers’ pockets? All those guilty should be awarded death penalties so that nobody dares to attack policemen and nobody dares to collude with criminals in the future. Even if some of the guilty rogues are awarded life sentences, they should be without parole for life.
There must be new legal safeguards to plug the loopholes in the system. Magistrate level legal officers must be appointed in all the police stations to keep a tab and to stop colluding policemen from patronizing criminals. When a criminal is moved from one city or location to another, a magistrate should accompany the team so that there is no chance of a fake encounter to bury the truth.
Satyameva Jayate!
