Nearly five years after the killing of eight policemen in Kanpur’s Bikru village, at least 65 criminal cases related to the incident remain pending in various courts, reflecting the slow pace of legal proceedings in one of Uttar Pradesh’s most high-profile criminal cases.
The massacre took place on the night of July 2-3, 2020, when gangster Vikas Dubey and his aides ambushed a police team in Bikru village, Chaubepur, Kanpur. The team had arrived to arrest Dubey, but the planned attack led to the death of eight police personnel. The incident led to an extensive operation by the police.
In the weeks that followed, Dubey and six of his associates were killed in separate police encounters. Authorities also confiscated several properties belonging to Dubey and his relatives.
Bikru today remains quiet. The house where Dubey once operated lies abandoned and crumbling, with trees growing through its debris. Many homes in the area are still locked, although locals say the fear that once gripped the village has faded.
The 2021 panchayat elections marked a turning point, with the village electing a head (pradhan) unconnected to Dubey’s network for the first time.
According to Kanpur Police, 45 individuals were arrested in connection with the Bikru case. Of these, only 13 have received bail, and nine have been released from jail. Among those out on bail are Khushi Dubey, wife of Dubey’s aide, and former Chaubepur station officer Vinay Tiwari, who was recently granted bail by the high court.
The Bikru cell, set up to investigate and pursue legal action, reported that the 65 pending cases are registered under multiple serious charges, including the Arms Act, Gangsters Act, Explosive Substances Act, and attempted murder. Only four cases have resulted in convictions so far.
In July 2023, Shyamu Vajpayee was sentenced to five years in jail. Two months later, 23 individuals were convicted under the Gangsters Act and given 10-year sentences, while seven co-accused were acquitted. In another case, Dayashankar Agnihotri received a three-year sentence for storing explosives in his government-run ration shop. Another accused, Ramu Vajpayee, was given a two-year term under the Arms Act and remains in jail.
In the primary case of the Bikru massacre, 14 witnesses have so far deposed in court. However, the trial is yet to reach its conclusion.
Officials involved in the investigation said that while some progress has been achieved through arrests and convictions, a large number of trials are still pending. They underlined the need for sustained judicial attention to ensure justice for the slain officers and to dismantle the criminal infrastructure that once operated under Dubey’s influence.