UP police to increase bounty on arrest of Kanpur encounter accused Vikas Dubey to 1 Lakh

The district police has sent a proposal to DGP to increase the bounty on the arrest of main accused of Kanpur encounter case, Vikas Dubey from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh, said IGP Kanpur Mohit Agarwal on Sunday.

While talking to , Inspector General of Police Kanpur, Agarwal said, "We have sent a proposal to Director General of Police (DGP) to increase the bounty from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh on the arrest of Vikas Dubey, main accused in Kanpur encounter case in which a group of assailants opened fire on a police team which was trying to arrest a criminal on Thursday night."

Commenting upon the latest development in the case, Agarwal said, "Vikas Dubey's maternal uncle was gunned down. We have recovered a pistol from him. One more culprit-- Daya Shankar Agnihotri-- has been arrested. He was living with Vikas Dubey. He was having a bounty of Rs 25,000 on his head."

Meanwhile, Daya Shankar Agnihotri, an accomplice of Dubey claimed that Vikas Dubey had received a phone call from the police station before the police came to arrest him following which he had called other accomplices and fired bullets on the police personnel.

Commenting upon Agnihotri's claims, Inspector General of Police Kanpur Mohit Agarwal said, "Station House Officer (SHO) of Chaubeypur Police Station in Kanpur district has been suspended for fleeing from the spot during a raid to arrest history sheeter Dubey. We are investigating the role of police station from every possible angle."

"All the workers of the local police station are under our scope of investigation on how Vikas Dubey got information about police movement. Whoever is found guilty will be charged with murder," he added.

While responding to the claims made by Chhatrapal Singh, Operator, Shivli Power Sub-station, Kanpur that on July 3, he had received a call from Chaubeypur Power Station to cut power in Bikaru village (site of Kanpur encounter) as a power line was damaged there, Inspector General of Police Kanpur Mohit Agarwal said, "We are questioning the operator of this sub-station. We are looking under what circumstances power was cut."

In another development, a photo of Vikas Dubey has been put up at check-post near the India-Nepal border in Rupaidiha, Bahraich district.

According to sources, Dubey's last location was traced in Auraiya and it is suspected that he might have gone to Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan, crossing the Uttar Pradesh border.

"An abandoned car has been found in Auraiya. The investigation is underway, a team of forensics is present at the spot and investigating the matter," Mohit Agarwal said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has contacted the police of both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Even after 60 hours, UP Police and ATS have not yet discovered anything about the whereabouts of Dubey, sources informed.

Vikas Dubey is the main accused in the Kanpur encounter case, in which a group of assailants allegedly opened fire on a police team that was trying to arrest a criminal i late on Thursday night. Eight policemen were killed in the incident.

The district administration had on Saturday demolished the house and visuals showed cars and other vehicles in the premises of the building complex being crushed by machines.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath earlier announced Rs 1 crore each ex-gratia for the families of the policemen who were killed in the Bikaru village encounter.

( With inputs from ANI )