New Jul 7 (IANS): Vikas Dubey's plunge into crime coincided with Sunny Deol thriller "Arjun Pandit" which released in 1999. Taking a cue from the movie Dubey also became Vikas Pandit, and has been known so in political circles and even among the police personnel, who referred to him as 'Pandit'.

Local journalist who came to know him, on condition of anonymity said that he was fond of being called Pandit.

The Bollywood thriller though panned out to be much different. In the film Arjun (Sunny Deol) became a puppet in the hands of a powerful man and kept quiet about a crime he witnessed. He fell in love with Nisha only to turn into a ruthless gangster after being betrayed by her.

Vikas Dubey now absconding was fond of this movie and had seen it hundreds of times says some of the local journalists, who have been familiar with his modus operandi. He even called his victims and only introduced himself as Pandit.

However, after the June 3 killing of eight policemen in Kanpur's Bikru village in his own backyard, Dubey is a pariah both to the ruling and the opposition.

While, the Yogi Adityanath government has increased the bounty on his head to Rs 2.5 lakh, and 300 teams are chasing him under the supervision of STF, the opposition has also demanded a thorough probe.

Posters of all his accomplices are out and even his wife Richa Dubey is been chased. The family of Vikas Dubey has turned away from the gangster and some have even called for his death, including his mother.