New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh government has directed the state DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthy to initiate action against 37 police personnel for laxity leading to Kanpur ambush, in which 8 policemen were killed by henchmen of gangster Vikas Dubey in July this year.

37 police personnel have been found guilty in Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry into the Bikru village encounter. They are alleged to have helped gangster Vikas Dubey during posting in Kanpur.

The officers include 18 inspectors, 10 deputy inspectors, 8 constables and a beat incharge.

8 policemen were ambushed at Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur as they headed to arrest Dubey shortly after midnight on July 2.

According to the order by Home Secretary Tarun Gaba, major punishment has been recommended for 8 police personnel while minor punishment for 6 police personnel.

The SIT analysed Dubey’s mobile phone records going back up to a year and found that some policemen were in regular touch with him, they said.

The government constituted the SIT led by Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Bhoosreddy, with Additional DG Hari Ram Sharma and DIG Ravinder Goud as its members, on July 11.

Dubey was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police on July 9 from the premises of the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain. A day later, he was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Police in an encounter after he “attempted to flee” while being taken to Kanpur from Ujjain.