Right now Vikas Dubey is in SP, says mother; party denies claim

Gangster Vikas Dubey's mother Sarla Devi on Thursday said that her son, arrested for the Kanpur ambush, is with the SP, a claim denied by the party. Dubey was arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Thursday after a six-day manhunt following the Kanpur ambush in which eight policemen were gunned down.

Earlier, in a 2017 video seen on social media, the gangster is heard claiming that two BJP MLAs helped him in the past. On being asked what should be done by the government after her son's arrest, Sarla Devi said, "The government should do whatever it feels appropriate (sarkar jo uchit samjhe, woh kare)."

"At this time, he is not in the BJP, he is with the SP," she told reporters. Meanwhile, an SP spokesman said Vikas is "not a member of the party" and strict action should be taken against him. His call record details should be made public as demanded by party president Akhilesh Yadav to expose his links, added the party spokesperson.