Kanpur gangster Vikas Dubey, who, with his goons, had shot dead eight policemen, including a circle officer, during an encounter last week, was 'arrested' in ''dramatic circumstances'' from Ujjain town in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.
According to the UP additional director general of police (ADG) Prashant Kumar, the gangster was 'nabbed' after he came out of the famous 'Mahakal Temple' (Lord Shiva temple) in Ujjain around eight in the morning.
Police officials here claimed that Vikas was 'recognised' by a temple security guard, who apprehended him and handed him over to the local police.
Four others, including two lawyers from Lucknow, were also arrested on charges of allegedly providing shelter to the gangster, police sources here said.
Sources said that the gangster, while being apprehended, kept shouting that he was ''Vikas Dubey from Kanpur''.
Senior police officials here refused to elaborate on the alleged 'arrest' of the gangster saying that they were still gathering information from their counterpart in MP.
Vikas and his goons had shot dead eight UP cops, when the latter went to his residence at Bikaru village in Kanpur district to arrest him last week.
Sources said that the gangster, who had a cash reward of rs. five lakh on his head, managed to slip away from the police dragnet after the encounter and travelled around 1300 kilometres to reach Ujjain traversing three states-Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. He was earlier spotted in Faridabad in Haryana but escaped just before the cops reached his hideout.
A team of UP police left by a chartered flight to bring Vikas here on a transit remand, officials said.
The killings of the cops triggered widespread outrage and prompted the opposition parties to demand resignation of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
From killing of cops to arrest
July 3-Police raid Vikas Dubey's house at Bikaru village in Kanpur district. Eight cops killed in encounter.
July 4-The gangster's maternal uncle Prem Praksh Pandey and aide Atul Dubey gunned down by police in encounter.
July 8-Vikas's key aide Amar Dubey shot dead in encounter with the police.
July 9-Two more aides of the gangster, Prabhat Mishra and Baua Dubey killed in encounter with police, Vikas 'arrested' from Ujjain