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After a week-long intense search operation panning four states, the UP Police had egg on its face when Kanpur carnage mastermind Vikas Dubey dramatically surrendered at Mahakal temple in Ujjain on Thursday morning.
If police sources are to be believed, Dubey travelled nearly 800 kilometres from Faridabad to Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh within 24 hours to surrender. He was later detained by temple guards and handed over to Ujjain police.
While being huddled into a police jeep, the gangster screamed to onlookers, “Main Vikas Dubey hun, Kanpur wala” ( I am Vikas Dubey from Kanpur).
Security cameras inside temple premises caught Dubey there around 8:50 am. The gangster went to a shop outside the temple and enquired about the darshan, when the shop owner identified him as he was not wearing a mask. The shop owner later informed a temple guard which later led to his detention and arrest.
Soon after his arrest, District Magistrate of Ujjain, Ashish Singh, told newsmen, “Vikas Dubey was going to Mahakal temple when he was identified by security personnel. Police later took him into custody and was interrogating him. Dubey confessed his identity after being pushed for it.
Singh said that Dubey initially identified himself as Shubham and later came up with the PAN card of Naveen Pal, aged 27 years. “This sent alarm bells ringing and an argument followed between the temple guards and Dubey. Later the police arrested him. Two others have also been arrested,” he said.
After slaying eight Kanpur police officers and personnel, Dubey was on the run since Friday last. Numerous police teams were despatched to net him in Haryana, Rajasthan, MP and Delhi.
MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra was first to confirm Dubey’s arrest and told reporters that the gangster was in police custody in Ujjain.
Confirming Dubey’s arrest at Ujjain, ADG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar told media persons in Lucknow on Thursday that a STF team was immediately dispatched to take custody of the wanted criminal in Madhya Pradesh.