New Delhi, Jul 10 (IANS): Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla on Friday sought National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) intervention into gangster Vikas Dubey's encounter killing earlier in the day near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and asserted that the "due process of law was not followed".

Poonawalla said that the encounter raised many doubts.

Gangster Dubey and his accomplices were accused of killing eight policemen on July 3 in Bikru village. He was shot dead by police in retaliatory firing while trying to escape.

"The police officers should have been extremely cautious about Vikas Dubey," said Poonawalla in a letter to NHRC.

"There are already several complaints about the illegal and unconstitutional behaviour of the Uttar Pradesh Police before court of law and human rights commission. Giving a free hand to kill surrendered accused must have brutal consequences," he added.

"The last visuals of Dubey showed him sitting in a Tata Safari; however, the pictures of the vehicle that toppled and through which Dubey tried to escape was a Mahindra TUV.

He said that vehicles carrying media persons, who were following the police convoy in which the gangster was brought from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh, were mysteriously stopped midway just before the alleged encounter took place.

The political analyst asked as to how the SUV toppled on a perfectly good road, how did Dubey get out of the toppled vehicle despite sitting in the middle of two police officials, why were his hands not tied, and what was the police team in the escort car doing.

The letter said: "The above questions behind Vikas Dubey's encounter raises a serious doubt that the due process of law was not followed after he had surrendered at the Mahakaal temple in Ujjain on Thursday morning. The National Human Rights Commission must take cognisance of this encounter done by the UP Police officers."