Kanpur: Eight policemen in Uttar Pradesh were shot dead early today at a village in Kanpur where they had gone to arrest a criminal wanted for murder.
The policemen had to face firing from all sides by the criminal and his associates. The police team were out to look for Vikas Dubey, a dreaded gangster.
Deputy Superintendent of police Devendra Mishra, sub-inspectors Mahesh Yadav, who was the station officer of Shivrajpur, Anup Kumar, Babulal and constables Sultan Singh, Rahul, Jitendra and Babloo died in the firing.
According to reports, Vikas Dubey and his team had put blocks by parking a heavy earthmover on roads leading to the Bikru village. As the police team approached the spot, the criminals began indiscriminate firing from rooftops.
Following the incident, the criminals were able to escape from the spot. Senior officers, including Senior Superintendent of Police and Inspector General visited the crime scene.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences to the family of the deceased police personnel, also directing DGP HC Awasthi to take strict action against the criminals and sought a report into the incident.