New Delhi, July 10 Former Supreme Court judge Justice A. K. Patnaik has said that gangster Vikas Dubey, who was killed Friday morning after being critically injured in an alleged shootout with STF officials, was a threat to the rule of law and the police action was justified.
Speaking to , Patnaik said he does not think that the police action was wrong. Dubey was shot when he reportedly tried to flee, following a road mishap in which the vehicle he was in turned upside down. He was taken to the emergency ward of the Hallett Hospital in a blood-soaked condition.
Queried on police not following the rule of law and instead resorting to an alleged encounter, Patnaik cited the incident where the gangster was involved in gunning down policemen and described Dubey as a threat to the rule of law. When asked if police had not breached the rule of law in Dubey's case, Patnaik insisted "I think police action is justified."
Former Delhi High Court judge Justice R S Sodhi said that the rule of law has totally collapsed as one of its most important pillars, the judiciary, is not functioning. "When judiciary collapses then extra judicial methods are deployed . . . Dubey breached the rule of law and the people (citing media reports) who acted on it also breached the rule of law" added Sodhi.
However, several senior retired judges of the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court refused to comment on the matter and insisted that it is too early to make a statement on this issue.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over Vikas Dubey's 'encounter', saying silence is better than many answers. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge to find out the truth behind the encounter.
( With inputs from IANS )