Kanpur encounter: UP police arrests Vikas Dubey’s cousin

The UP Police on Tuesday arrested a cousin of slain gangster Vikas Dubey and claimed to have recovered two weapons -- an AK -47 rifle and an Insas rifle -- which assailants had taken away after killing eight police personnel, who were part of the police team that had gone to Bikru village in Kanpur to arrest Vikas Dubey in an attempt to murder case last week. Vikas was later killed in a police encounter on Friday.

The arrested person has been identified as Shashi Kant alias Sonu Pandey, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.

"Shashi was arrested from Mela Chauraha of Choubeypur area in Kanpur and during questioning he confessed his involvement in the crime. During interrogation, Shashi Kant told police that he had hidden looted government weapons on Vikas's direction. On Shashi's information, police later recovered an Ak-47 rifle and 17 cartridges from Vikas's house and an Insas rifle and 20 cartridges from



Shashi's residence," said Additional Director General, law and order, Prashant Kumar.

He added that Shashi Kant also gave information about the involvement of other persons in the crime. Shashi Kant's father Prem Prakash Pandey, also an accused in the killing of police personnel at Dubey's house, was killed in an encounter on July 3.

"After killing eight police personnel, assailants escaped with five government weapons-- three pistols and one each AK-47 and Insas rifles. We had already recovered three pistols from assailants. Today, we recovered remaining government weapons," said a senior police officer.

Of the total 21 persons named in the killing of police personnel at Dubey's house, cops are yet to arrest 11 persons.

Reward of Rs 50,000 has been declared on all 11 absconding accused. The police have so far arrested four persons and gunned down six others in separate encounters.