Eight police personnel were gunned down in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur in a fierce gunbattle between the police and criminals who ambushed the group of personnel late in the night. Apart from the eight dead, seven other policemen have been injured in the encounter in Kanpur.

The Kanpur police team had gone to raid history sheeter Vikas Dubey with around 60 criminal cases in his name. As the group of police personnel raided the Bikaru village in search of Vikas Dubey, the team was ambushed.

What we know so far about the Kanpur encounter:

1. Eight police personnel lost their lives after being fired upon by criminals when they had gone to raid Bikaru village in search of history sheeter Vikas Dubey. SSP Kanpur said, “They had gone to arrest him following a complaint of attempt to murder. The police team was ambushed.”

2. A case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) was lodged against history sheeter Vikas Dubey and the police team had gone to arrest him late on Thursday night. JCB earthmoving machines were put up on the road which obstructed the police vehicles during the operation. This forced the police team to get down from their vehicles, when the criminals opened fire. There was retaliatory firing from the police, but the criminals were on a rooftop, which led to deaths of eight cops.

3. The deceased cops of Kanpur have been identified as CO Devendra Kumar Mishra, SO Mahesh Yadav, Chowki Incharge Anup Kumar, Sub-Inspector Nebulal, Constables Sultan Singh, Rahul, Jitendra and Bablu.

4. Investigators are now surveying mobile phone signals from 500 phones in the area to track the criminals. Border areas of Kanpur division have been sealed and all border checkpoints have heightened security. CCTV footage from the border checkposts are being looked at to track the criminals.

5. The entire area where the encounter took place late in the night has been sealed and finger prints of the criminals are being collected to identify the group. Locals in the area are also being questioned.

6. A Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to look into the sensational encounter that left 8 policemen dead within hours. ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar visited the spot of the encounter in Bikaru village early morning, hours after the encounter late night.

7. DGP HC Awasthi said, “The Kanpur STF is already at work. A large-scale operation is being carried out. This is in continuation with the operation for which the team had gone there in the first place.”

8. The DGP further said that around seven other police personnel have been injured in the encounter. DGP Awasthi said, “Operation is still underway as criminals managed to escape, taking advantage of the dark. IG, ADG, ADG (Law & Order) have been sent there to supervise operation. Forensic team from Kanpur was at spot, an expert team from Lucknow also being sent.”

9. As the police team was about to reach the hideout of the dreaded criminal, a hail of bullets was showered on them from a building rooftop, leaving Deputy SP Devendra Mishra, three sub-inspectors and four constables dead, officials said. Giving details of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police H C Awasthi said the notorious criminal might have got an inkling of the impending raid.

10. CM Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences to the families of the eight police personnel who lost their lives in the Kanpur encounter. CM Yogi has directed DGP HC Awasthi to take strict action against criminals and has also sought report of the incident.