Sonia Gandhi to chair meeting of Congress MPs; to discuss Vikas Dubey encounter: Sources

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting with her party's Lok Sabha MPs at 10.30 am on Saturday, July 11 via video conferencing. It is likely that the economic situation of the country and the fight against the COVID-19 crisis shall be discussed in the meeting. Moreover, sources informed Republic TV that she might raise the law and order condition in UP in the wake of the encounter of dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey. This will also be Gandhi's first interaction after the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered a probe into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Congress-linked trusts earlier this week. 

Read: Vikas Dubey Encounter: Lawyer Moves Allahabad HC Alleging Fake Killing; Demands CBI Probe

The Kanpur encounter

A police team was approaching to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history-sheeter facing 60 criminal cases in Dikru village under Chaubeypur Police station on the intervening night of July 2. As it was about to reach Dubey's hideout, bullets were fired from the rooftop of a building. This resulted in the death of Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, three sub-inspectors, and 4 constables.

Several other persons were injured in the incident as well. While two criminals were killed in the encounter, Vikas Dubey and his other associates managed to flee from the spot. After his arrest in Ujjain on Thursday morning, Dubey was handed over to the UP STF team.

Read: Vikas Dubey Encounter: Priyanka Vadra Demands Probe By Sitting Judge To Ascertain Reality

UP STF explained details of the encounter

Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh STF released a statement on the encounter in which dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey was killed earlier in the day. Mentioning that he was being brought to Kanpur in a government vehicle, the STF noted that the problem arose when a herd of cattle suddenly came on the road. To avert any untoward incident, the driver of the vehicle who was tired after a long journey, took a sharp turn which resulted in the accident.

Thereafter, 5 police personnel in the vehicle carrying Dubey were seriously injured due to the impact of the accident. Seizing this opportunity, the STF revealed that the gangster snatched a pistol from one of the injured personnel and ran away on a different road. When the second government vehicle ferrying policemen reached the spot, the injured STF personnel apprised them of the situation. As they started chasing Dubey, he fired at them. According to the STF, the personnel made every attempt to arrest him alive. However, he was hit by bullets fired by the police in self-defence. The doctors at the government hospital declared him dead.

Read: Ex-CM Kamal Nath Questions MP Govt On Vikas Dubey Arrest, Says 'Mahakal Punishes Sinners’