Police paying price for protecting Vikas Dubey, says Brother of ex-UP minister Santosh Shukla

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 6 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh police which provided protection to notorious criminal Vikas Dubey is now paying the price, said Manoj Shukla, brother of late Santosh Shukla, a minister in the then Rajnath Singh-led UP government.
Santosh Shukla was allegedly killed by Dubey in 2001.
While speaking to ANI, Manoj Shukla narrated about the criminal activities of Vikas Dubey, main accused of Kanpur encounter case and carrying a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh.
"In 1996, Lallan Bajpayee, then head of Shivli Nagar Panchayat and Vikas Dubey were working together. After some time, Vikas had a quarrel with Bajpayee's brother and later Bajpayee lodged a complaint. But Vikas continued his illicit acts. He was behaving like a mafia and used to extort money from truck drivers, auto drivers, fruit sellers, and others. Lallan Bajpayee being the chairman of the Panchayat, opposed this and it led to a rift between them."Manoj Shukla told ANI.
"In UP Assembly elections, Hari Kishan was fighting on BSP ticket and my brother Santosh Shukla fought from BJP ticket. Hari Kishan won that election. Vikas was a supporter of Hari Kishan and Lallan Bajpaayee was supporting Santosh Shukla. It further deepened the rift between Lallan Bajpayee and Vikas," he added.
Recounting the fearlessness of Dubey while performing criminal acts, Manoj Shukla said, "In 2001, he tried to acquire an area near Shivli Inter College to develop a market there. Sivdheshwar Pandey, then the manager of the school, opposed him to do so, but Dubey murdered him at the school gate. Police did not come there to protect Sivdheswar. Police were working under his pressure."
Manoj Shukla further claimed that Dubey had attacked Lallan Bajpayee in which 3 people were killed and also killed around 10 people who tried to oppose his illegal acts.
Manoj Shukla opined that Dubey came in limelight in 2001 when he murdered sitting minister Santosh Shukla inside the jail premises.
"In 2001, he murdered my brother who was a minister in the then Rajnath Singh led UP government. He got protection from politicians and he continued his extortion practices. Police have protected him and now paying the prices," he said.
"Back then the police was working under his canopy and continue to do so until the recent death of 8 policemen. Shivli and Chaubeypur police station were like hand in gloves with Vikas Dubey," he added.
Manoj Shukla, however, said that he is hoping that Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath has deployed some of the best officers to nab Dubey.
"I think he will be nabbed soon. CM Yogi has deployed some of the well known and best officials in this case and I am hoping that justice will be served soon," he said.
The Office of Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police announced on Monday that bounty on the arrest of the main accused of Kanpur encounter case, Vikas Dubey, has been increased to Rs 2.5 lakhs.
Currently, a search operation is underway for Dubey in Kanpur encounter case, in which a group of assailants allegedly opened fire on a police team which had gone to arrest him. Eight policemen were killed in the incident.
Last week, a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during a search operation from the residence of Vikas Dubey.
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. (ANI)