Vikas Dubey: Years of Crime That Made Him UP’s Most Wanted Goon

Vikas Dubey’s criminal record began in 1990 with a murder case.

Eight police officers have been killed in a shootout in Kanpur.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

A week after news of eight UP policemen being killed in a shoot-out in Kanpur shook the nation, on 3 july, the country woke up to find out that the prime accused, history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, has been killed in an alleged encounter on Friday.

Dubey, who was arrested from Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Thursday, after a six-day-long search, was killed in an encounter while he was allegedly trying to flee after one of the vehicles that was part of the convoy of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), that was bringing back Dubey from Ujjain to Kanpur, overturned. Four policemen were reportedly injured in the accident.

While several questions about the encounter still remain unanswered, ANI on Friday showed locals in Kanpur’s Bikaru distributing sweets after Dubey’s death.

“This entire area is very happy today. It feels as if we are finally free. This is the end of an era of terror. Everyone is very happy,” a local was quoted by ANI as saying.

60 Criminal Cases Against Vikas Dubey

Vikas Dubey, said to be in his 50s, was also accused of killing state minister Santosh Shukla in 2001. He surrendered in 2002 but was acquitted later.

His criminal record began in 1990 with a murder case. Over the years he accumulated numerous criminal charges for attempted murder, kidnapping, extortion and rioting.

This heinous massacre was carried out in front of the police station in Kanpur. Dubey was arrested from Lucknow after 16 years but was released on bail last year.

In August 2019, the police detained him for threatening officials regarding a road tender.

Dubey, who has a long-standing history of heinous crimes, only has a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head.

Involved in Crimes While in Jail

Dubey is also accused of plotting murders while in prison, including the murder of his cousin, Anurag.

He also won the Nagar Panchayat elections from Shivrajpur while in jail, and is said to be well-connected with every party in the state. He allegedly keeps an armed group of henchmen in the village and is feared in the region.