Uttar Pradesh gangster Vikas Dubey, accused of killing eight cops last week, was arrested from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh after a massive hunt involving police across three states. The arrest from the Mahakaleshwar temple premises in Ujjaina came just hours after two of his aides were killed in separate encounters in UP. His closest aide, Aman Dubey, was killed yesterday.

Vikas Dubey, seen in a white striped t-shirt and a mask, bought prayer offerings from a shop before entering the temple using fake IDs and after paying a token fee of Rs 250. The shopkeeper recognised him and alerted the security guards, who confronted him when he stepped out and handed him over to the police.

“When I asked him (Vikas Dubey) about his ID, he started arguing and I called the police,’ said Gopal Singh, a security guard at the temple.

Sources, however, say that the notorious gangster may have had everything planned to dodge the shoot-at-sight orders that were issued against him soon after he went missing following the Kanpur massacre on July 3. He made sure all bystanders knew who he was and shouted “Mein Vikas Dubey Kanpur Wallah! (I am Vikas Dubey form Kanpur)”, several times – inside the temple and outside while he was being taken by the police – to identify himself. A video footage by news ageny ANI shows the gangster screaming out his name.

Sources added that the gangster was aware that his arrest was imminent and led the cops to the temple knowing fully well that they would not open fire on the premises.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the gangster would now be handed over to the Uttar Pradesh police. He also said that he is in constant touch with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue.

Dubey, charged in 60 cases including murder, was allegedly tipped off about the pre-dawn raid on his Kanpur home by local policemen . When the cops reached the village, Dubey and his men, armed with AK-47s, fired from rooftops. After the masscare, Dubey escaped and a massive hunt for him was on since then and the bounty on him was raised to Rs 5 lakh.