Police step up efforts to hunt gangster Vikas Dubey, borders sealed

In an effort to nab history-sheeter Vikas Dubey who is the prime accused in Kanpur encounter where 8 policemen were killed, Uttar Pradesh police have sealed the state borders and also alerted the adjoining states including India-Nepal border. Posters of Vikas Dubey have also been put up, but multiple abandoned cars possibly used as getaway vehicles by Dubey has queered the pitch for police.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): The Uttar Pradesh police has stepped up its efforts to nab gangster Vikas Dubey, who continues to elude the state police and is the main accused in the killing of eight police personnel in Kanpur on Friday.

While vigil has been stepped up on the borders of the state to prevent the gangster from moving out, a series of abandoned cars-probably used as getaway vehicles by Dubey has queered the pitch for investigators.

The Uttar Pradesh police have alerted their counterparts in adjoining states since it is believed that the gangster could be in hiding anywhere there.

Posters of Vikas Dubey have been put up in all adjoining district and along the UP-Nepal borders.

According to official sources, the Pilibhit police has sounded a high alert on the India-Nepal border in a bid to foil the gangster's possible attempt to escape to Nepal through the perforated border with the district.

Pilibhit superintendent of police Jai Prakash Yadav said that besides sealing the borders, the police are carrying out an intensive search of vehicles and individuals.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), too, has alerted its personnel guarding the border.

Deputy commandant, 49th Battalion, Raman Singh said, "For the identification of Dubey, we have circulated his photographs among our personnel."

Read:|Kanpur Encounter: Criminals took advantage of height to ambush police team, says IG

"Police are keeping a tight vigil on all suspected people and vehicles. Police and the SSB are keeping a vigil on all activities on the border, though most of the border stretch is not conducive for travel at present due to Sharda river being in spate," said Singh.

The state government, on Monday, suspended inspector Kunwar Pal and constables K.K. Sharma and Rajiv after the call details revealed that the three were in touch with Vikas Dubey.

The state police, meanwhile, found an abandoned dark grey Ford EcoSport car on the highway near Aurraiyya on Sunday with an ignition key in place and ownership papers in the dashboard. The police suspect that the car may have been used by the gangster to get away after committing the crime on Friday.

The police have also found three black luxury cars abandoned in Kakadeo police circle in Kanpur.

The cars, apparently new, did not have registration number plates on them. The vehicles have been seized by the police.

An investigation has revealed that the cars were purchased by a local businessman Jai Bajpai but registered under different names.

The Audi car seized was registered in the name of Pramod Vishwakarma, a Bhartiya Yuva Janata Morcha (BYJM) leader, a Fortuner was in the name of one Rahul Singh and the third vehicle was in the name of one Kapil Singh.

Bajpai has been detained and is being interrogated. He could not explain why he had purchased the vehicles in the name of others.

A photograph of the businessman with Vikas Dubey at a birthday party has gone viral on social media. Bajpai said that after the photograph went viral, he became apprehensive and parked the cars at a lonely spot. Bajpai, police sources said, was close to Annu Awasthi, a social media star.

Read:|Kanpur Encounter: Two sub-inspectors, one constable suspended

Earlier, on Friday evening, a white Bolero had been found abandoned in Etawah and it was also presumed that the vehicle was used by criminals to flee.

Another Ford car was recovered near Aurraiyya-Dibiyapur bypass. Documents recovered from the car, bearing a Lucknow registration number, show it belonged to one Amit Dubey.

Three identity cards, a wallet, an ID of an elite Lucknow school and expensive footwear were found in the car, which is now being scanned by the forensics team along with fingerprint experts.

The vehicle, which is 59-months-old, is without an insurance cover or pollution certificate. "The words, 'Pravakta Hindu Organization' are scribbled on the rear mirror," said a police official.

(With inputs from IANS)