23 Sentenced to 10 Years in Bikru Massacre Case, 7 Acquitted

In a significant development, a specialized Gangster Act court handed down 10-year prison sentences to 23 individuals on Tuesday in connection with the tragic 2020 Bikru killing of eight police personnel, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devendra Mishra. The incident unfolded in an ambush orchestrated by the notorious gang led by Vikas Dubey in Bikru village.

The fatal ambush occurred in the quiet confines of Bikru village when eight police personnel, including the valiant DSP Devendra Mishra, were en route to apprehend the notorious gangster Vikas Dubey. This fateful incident unfolded shortly after midnight on July 3, 2020.

Additional District Judge-5 Durgesh, presiding over the case in Kanpur Dehat district’s Special Gangster Act court, acquitted seven other accused individuals, as confirmed by Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar in an official statement.

Public Prosecutor Raju Porwal, on his part, expressed his intent to challenge the acquittals of the seven individuals in the case.

The verdict was pronounced on September 5, 2023, in the town of Mati, the district headquarters of Kanpur Dehat district. This ruling marks the first sentencing in the Bikru massacre case, which shook the nation.

It is noteworthy that Vikas Dubey met his demise in a police encounter on July 10, 2020. This transpired when the police vehicle transporting him from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Kanpur was involved in an accident, and Dubey attempted to escape.

Subsequent to the July 3 incident, law enforcement conducted a search operation that resulted in the encounter deaths of two of Vikas Dubey’s associates, Prem Prakash Pandey and Atul Dubey, in Kanpur.

Amar Dubey, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, met a similar fate at the hands of the police on July 8 in the Maudaha village of Hamirpur district.

In the days that followed, Prabhat and Bauwa Dubey, also known as Praveen, faced separate encounters with law enforcement in Kanpur and Etawah districts, ultimately leading to their demise.

Notably, among the convicted individuals are Shyamu Bajpai, an aide to the slain gangster, and Jaikant Bajpai, who is alleged to have financed the criminal activities. Advocating on behalf of Jaikant Bajpai, lawyer Shivakant Dixit revealed, “The Investigating Officer in his testimony stated that he lacked evidence against Bajpai. While we were unable to sway the court as desired, we remain hopeful of obtaining justice in the higher court.”

Following the court’s verdict, enhanced police security measures were put in place in Bikru village. Joint Commissioner of Police, Anand Prakash Tiwari, issued directives to closely monitor the village, particularly the relatives of the convicted individuals, in the interest of public safety and security.