Notwithstanding the spirited defence of the actions of the Uttar Pradesh Police, including by its garrulous former chief who seems to revel in television studios, several aspects of the sordid death of gangster Vikas Dubey call into question the way governance is carried out in India’s worst criminal-infested state. It must be said though that such acts that strain credulity as Dubey’s death in police firing while allegedly attempting to break free from captivity are not unique to the current dispensation in Lucknow.

Nor can Dubey be fairly described as a creation of the Yogi Adityanath government. In fact, his reign as a gangster covers the periods when the state was ruled by Rajnath Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav. Dubey was clearly a creature of his times and could not have thrived for as long as he did without the support of and allegiance to the rulers of the day, in politics and police.

If anything, the present dispensation at least attempted to bell the cat when it sent a police party to his village on 3 July. It is now well-established that Dubey had prior information of the action and was able to ambush the party, killing eight policemen before taking to his heels. Once that happened, it became clear that Dubey would not survive long if he were detained. Predictably, and conveniently for those linked with him, he was killed when he was alleged to have attempted escape when the police vehicle transporting him is said to have overturned after encountering a herd of cattle.

The fact that no action has been taken against the police officer whose service revolver was allegedly snatched by Dubey tells a tale. But the impunity with which the state reacted in the week from 3 to 10 July, when Dubey was killed, suggests that Uttar Pradesh dances to a beat quite distinct from other regions of the country, in that it does not pretend even a nodding acquaintance with the rule of law. Dubey’s home in Kanpur was demolished by the police, apparently an act of fury provoked by the slaying of comrades but one guaranteed to destroy any evidence that may have been there.

Next, it was not just Dubey who perished to police bullets. Five others were similarly slain, including one who like Dubey was being brought on transit remand. These events cannot be coincidental, nor can the UP Police be such a bunch of bumblers that it cannot safely transport convicts. They speak of a larger conspiracy, one that is to be investigated by a single-member inquiry commission helmed by a retired High Court judge.

The commission has been tasked with inquiring into the attack on police on 3 July, the killings of Dubey’s henchmen and finally the convenient encounter of 10 July that saw the gangster’s end. Dependant as the commission will be on the government and the police in the conduct of its inquiry, not much should be expected. It is after all the Republic of Uttar Pradesh.