New Delhi: The Vikas Dubey saga reached a violent climax after the wanted gangster from Uttar Pradesh was killed in an encounter Friday by Uttar Pradesh police. Theories, conspiracy theories and predictions crowded Twitter.
Several people who had predicted just such a fate for don Dubey didn’t shy away from reminding us of it – among them journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and advocate Prashant Bhushan.
And here folks is the BIG BREAKING NEWS: Vikas Dubey KILLED in an encounter. Guess my IPS friend was right after all. Hate to say this: Rajdeep 1, trolls 0.. ? https://t.co/9Io8L4UfBu
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 10, 2020
A retired IPS officer tells me: ‘It’s unlikely Vikas Dubey will be caught; he and associates will be mostly ‘encountered’, they know too many secrets about too many ‘big’ people’” well, it’s day 6 since the gangster escaped after killing 8 policemen. Watch this space!
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 9, 2020
I had predicted this! After being taken hold of by UP Police, the car carrying Dubey overturns & he is 'encountered'! Obviously to protect top police officers & politicos who had used him&protected him thus far. This is the 'Vikas' that Yogi & Modi have delivered! https://t.co/fAJthsD6g6
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) July 10, 2020
Then, there’s retired IPS officer Dr N.C. Asthana who picks holes in the ‘outrageous’ police version of the encounter.
OUTRAGEOUS STORY of Vikas Dubey encounter. The vehicle is seen lying "conveniently" on its side, all doors closed. Note the road condition. No reason to overturn "so softly"! Open fields all around! Even a fool with a paunch wud not consider running away in open. pic.twitter.com/8NGT2zx6lT
— Dr. N. C. Asthana, IPS (Retd) (1986-2019) (@NcAsthana) July 10, 2020
The man supposedly climbed out of an overturned van though injured, ran helterskelter for life, had an exchange of fire with police and eventually got killed. BUT THE MASK REMAINED IN PLACE! Took the corona orders seriously! Police ko mask to utaar dena tha to make it realistic! pic.twitter.com/BAEm6o9Zp0
— Dr. N. C. Asthana, IPS (Retd) (1986-2019) (@NcAsthana) July 10, 2020
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav overturns the police’s account of the killing.
दरअसल ये कार नहीं पलटी है, राज़ खुलने से सरकार पलटने से बचाई गयी है.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 10, 2020
The shocking sequence of events simply does not line up for Samajwadi Party spokesperson IP Singh, either.
10 से ज़्यादा गाड़ियों का क़ाफ़िला, 30 से ज्यादा पुलिस वाले, फिर भी ‘सरेंडर’ कर चुके विकास दुबे ने पुलिस का हथियार चीन ‘भागने’ का प्रयास किया। जो इस कहानी पर विश्वास कर लेगा, उस ग़ुलाम को मोदी जी द्वारा तत्काल फ़ॉलो कर उसके साथ एक तस्वीर जारी करनी चाहिए।
— I.P. Singh (@IPSinghSp) July 10, 2020
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s pithy obituary on the death of the don.
न रहेगा बाँस, न बजेगी बाँसुरी#VikasDubey
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 10, 2020
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah perfectly captures the public sentiment with this old adage.
Dead men tell no tales #VikasDubey
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 10, 2020
Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi has a what-next kind of question.
अपराधी का अंत हो गया, अपराध और उसको सरंक्षण देने वाले लोगों का क्या?
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 10, 2020
Political analyst Yashwant Deshmukh advises Mahindra to take the UP police to court—find out why.
Somehow I feel Mahindra should take Police guys to court. It is unfair that his vehicle gets blamed as the primary reason for so many encounters. Na gadi kharab hoti, na apradhi ko bhagne Ka mauka milta, aur na…
Better to use a Chinese car while planning the encounter you see!
— Yashwant Deshmukh ?? (@YRDeshmukh) July 10, 2020
Former diplomat and strategic affairs Expert K C Singh calls out the encounter for what he thinks it is — an execution.
https://twitter.com/ambkcsingh/status/1281422718081040385?s=19
Journalist Ashutosh rightly sees how filmy this entire incident has been.
भाई, बहुत फ़िल्मे देखी है, सबको बेवक़ूफ़ समझते हैं ।
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) July 10, 2020
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram offers an alternative ending in case this was a script…
The only script @netflix and @NetflixIndia are willing to consider is that, #VikasDubey has been allowed to escape and a patsy was killed in his place to make it look like him.
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 10, 2020
If only UP Police expressed the same clarity of thought as Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav.
हर कोई जानता है क्या हुआ है।
हर कोई जानता था ये होगा।
हर कोई जानता है जो हुआ है वो क्यों होना ही था।
सिवा उन्हें जिन्हें जानना चाहिए? https://t.co/O7jAf0WKTa
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) July 10, 2020
Meanwhile, the BJP has been mostly silent on the subject – but not Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga who wants the UP government to reward the state police. Could he be joking?
मैं आदरणीय @myogiadityanath जी से #vikasDubeyEncounter करने वाले @Uppolice के वीर पुलिसकर्मियों को ईनाम देने की अपील करता हूँ ।
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) July 10, 2020
BJP’s spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia conveniently catches the wrong end of the stick.
एक बात तो तय है कि श्री @myogiadityanath जी की सरकार में कानून का राज होगा और गुंडों को बख्शा नहीं जाएगा।
कानून का डर अच्छा है। #विकास_दुबे #vikasDubeyEncounter #YogiAdityanath pic.twitter.com/xUo7mbGUYp— Gaurav Bhatia Sr Adv BJP गौरव भाटिया ?? (@gauravbh) July 10, 2020
Who polices the police? Former Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju makes an important point here.
https://twitter.com/mkatju/status/1281430500100337664?s=20
And finally, this journalist reminds us that it wasn’t only a criminal who died on Friday
Breaking: A lot of secrets were killed in an encounter today.
— Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) July 10, 2020
With inputs from Shubhangi Misra