The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the second bail application of Bablu alias Ballu Musalman alias Islam Beg, a close associate of slain gangster Vikas Dubey, who is accused in the brutal 2020 Bikru massacre case in Kanpur.
Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery, while rejecting the plea, remarked that the duration of Bablu’s incarceration cannot be considered “prolonged” in view of the gravity of the charges and the ongoing trial. “Considering that trial is proceeding and further taking note of allegations as well as manner of occurrence, therefore, aforesaid period of incarceration cannot be considered to be a prolonged detention, therefore, prayer for bail is rejected,” the judge noted.
Bablu has been lodged in jail since August 25, 2020, for his alleged role in the Bikru incident, where eight police personnel, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, were ambushed and killed during a late-night raid at gangster Vikas Dubey’s residence on July 2, 2020. The incident had sparked nationwide outrage and a massive manhunt for Dubey.
Dubey was later shot dead on July 10, 2020, after allegedly attempting to flee police custody when a vehicle transporting him from Ujjain to Kanpur overturned.
Bablu’s latest plea marked his second attempt to seek bail. The court, however, found no reason to grant him relief at this stage, citing the seriousness of the case and progress in trial proceedings.
