Audio clip exposes cops-mafia nexus minutes before Bikru ambush

Lucknow : Nearly a month after Kanpur's notorious gangster Vikas Dubey was put down in an encounter, an audio clip of a conversation between slain circle officer Devendra Mishra and Kanpur SP (Rural) Brijesh Srivastava has gone viral on the social media. They were part of the team that was ambushed and butchered by Dubey's men a week before his death.

The audio clip could spell trouble for the then Station Officer (SO) of Chaubeypur police station Vinay Tiwari and former Kanpur SSP Anant Deo Tiwari. Questions have been raised over the nexus between police officers and Dubey's gang ever since the July 2 massacre in Bikru village.

Vinay Tiwari has been arrested for his complicity with the slain gangster while Anant Deo Tiwari has been shifted to another district after the Bikru massacre.

In the phone conversation, that apparently took place just before the police raided Dubey's premises on the night of July 2 that led to the death of eight policemen, including slain circle officer, Devendra Mishra, himself, can be heard telling Srivastava that the SO (Vinay Tiwari) is saying the raid will start only after the CO (Mishra) reaches the spot.

Mishra is also heard making allegations against "former SSP Tiwari" (in an apparent reference to Anant Deo Tiwari) -- saying that he took Rs 5 lakh from the SO after a gambling racket was busted by Mishra and dropped all inquiries against the SO.

At the start of the five-minute clip, the SP can be heard saying that a large deployment of police would be required in the village and Mishra says that the deployment should not be a problem.

"The SO is saying that he would go for the raid only after I reach there. So, I am going," Mishra says.

SP Rural tells Mishra that "You should not worry. I will take care of these people very soon and am preparing a list of all that he is doing. The SSP might have asked him to make the arrest. Use your mind and take the force of two-three police stations as we have a great chance of catching him (Vikas Dubey)."

The circle officer who lost his life in the encounter, then says, "I will tell you about him. When he (Vinay Tiwari) touches his (Vikas Dubey) feet, what else we can expect. Once I told him that if he will keep his relations with him (Dubey) then it might lead to 2-4 murders, but he said that only a criminal can tell about other criminals."

Meanwhile ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the "audio needs to be looked into and a lot of things, including audio match and forensic analysis, are needed".

He said there is already a SIT probe and a judicial commission inquiring into the case and if found genuine, the audio could be made part of the investigation.

"It is too early to say anything about the audio and the allegations made in it. However, a Deputy SP died and his family has lost him. If you listen you will find in the audio that the Additional SP is saying that everything will be alright. We will ask him when the audio comes to us formally. It has to be taken into account with all seriousness," said the ADG.