Jailed widow of UP gangster is a minor, says family

The jailed widow of an aide to gangster Vikas Dubey is a juvenile, her family has told a court in Kanpur.

Kanpur: The family of Khushi, wife of slain gangster Amar Dubey, an aide of Vikas Dubey, has now claimed that the newly married girl is a juvenile.

Khushi, who was married to Amar Dubey, on June 29, barely four days before the Bikru encounter took place in which eight policemen were killed, was arrested by the Special Task Force on July 8 -- the same day when her husband was killed in Hamirpur.

Khushi's father, Shyam Lal Tiwari, on Wednesday, submitted an affidavit before the special anti-dacoity court at Mati headquarters in Kanpur Dehat, pleading that Khushi should be tried as a juvenile.

Her lawyer, Shivakant Dikshit, told reporters that "Khushi's age was 16 years and 11 months on the day of the Bikru incident. Her high school certificate has been enclosed with the affidavit, which shows she was born on August 21, 2003."

Khushi's father alleged that the police implicated his minor daughter in the Bikru case. "She is not an adult and not mature enough to engineer an ambush with the gangster and his aides. We suspect that the police implicated her, and even if my daughter committed a crime, police should treat her as a juvenile and let the court decide," he added.

Khushi, who has been in jail for over a month, was booked under stringent IPC sections, including murder and criminal conspiracy.

Government counsel Rajiv Porwal said the judge has sent Khushi's file to the Juvenile Justice Board to ascertain her age.

Shortly after Khushi was arrested, Congress leader Jitin Prasada tweeted: "Khushi probably had no choice being married off to Amar and continues to suffer as a widow and facing police harassment." (IANS)