‘Azad Hain Par Bekhauf Nahin’: Uncertainty, Fear Persist In Bikru, Nearly Four Years After Vikas Dubey’s Encounter

Three years and eleven months since Gangster Vikas Dubey's last episode, the memory of the night, when 8 police personnel were killed on July 3, 2020, continues to haunt the village. 

Nearly four years have elapsed, yet Bikru, a tranquil village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, remains shrouded in uncertainty and fear following the brutal attack orchestrated by gangster Vikas Dubey. The memory of the night, when eight police personnel were killed in the early hours of July 3, 2020, continues to haunt the residents to date, IANS reported. 

Jitendra Pandey, a resident who preferred anonymity told news agency IANS, “Azad hain magar bekhauf nahin (we are free but an unknown fear still lurks)”.

The incident catapulted Bikur into the national spotlight, marking a grim chapter in its history. Vikas Dubey, along with his associates, carried out a brutal attack, triggering widespread outrage. Subsequently, within a week, six of the accused, including Dubey himself, were killed in police encounters. Since then, 23 persons have been convicted, while many others remain incarcerated. 

'We Still Live In Fear': Villagers 

Approaching Bikru, the remnants of Vikas Dubey’s once imposing residence stand as a sombre testament to his reign, as stated in IANS report. 

An elderly villager, declining to disclose their identity, told IANS, “The incident haunts every house till today. From every house, there is someone who is in jail or has been killed or has fled – even those not related or linked to Dubey”. 

The palpable fear persists, compounded by periodic police inquiries and the lingering presence of Dubey’s associates. 

As the impending elections loom, slated for May 13 in Kanpur’s fourth phase, Bikru witnesses a subtle shift – residents now enjoy the freedom to choose whom they want to vote. 

“Earlier, we had to vote for the party whose flag was hoisted on Vikas Dubey’s house… This time, we can vote wherever we want but there have been very few visits by candidates here,” the elderly villager remarked, as reported by IANS. 

Even the villages’s children, once carefree, now exhibit eariness towards strangers, evading interactions and inquiries about the past. 

A relative of Vikas Dubey, residing discreetly in Lucknow, told IANS, “You say Bikru is free but we are still living in fear… All we want is that the guilty should be punished and the innocent should not be harassed”. 

Khushi Dubey, a victim of circumstance, who endured three years of incarceration following her husband’s involvement, when approached by IANS remained reticent about her ordeal. “I have nothing to say. Please spare me and leave me to my fate,” she was quoted as saying by the news agency. Click here for all live updates coming straight from the country's political sphere.