Prayagraj: Allahabad high court granted bail to Vinay Kumar Tiwari, former SHO of Chaubepur police station of Kanpur Nagar, an accused in Bikru massacre case, who had allegedly tipped off gangster Vikas Dubey about a police raid against him. In the ambush by the gangster, as many as eight policemen were killed on Jul 3, 2020.Allowing Vinay Kumar Tiwari to be released on bail, Justice Siddharth said, “In view of one-sided investigation by police and the applicant’s right to speedy trial and in consideration of overcrowding in jails, let the applicant be released on bail.”During hearing, counsel for the applicant submitted that the applicant was in jail since Jul 8, 2020. It was prayed that the prosecution took more than two and half years to commence the trial on Mar 1, 2023 after filing charge-sheet on Sep 30, 2020. In the trial court, 102 prosecution witnesses and about 13 have been examined and neither any credible evidence was collected by the investigating officer against the applicant to prove that he informed Vikas Dubey about the police raid, nor his relationship with the gangster could be proved. The state counsel had opposed prayer for bail of the applicant, submitting that the applicant and co- accused, K K Sharma, a colleague, conspired with Vikas Dubey, which led to the incident in which eight police personnel were murdered. He submitted that 14 prosecution witnesses had been examined out of 102. He further informed that the fifth bail application of co-accused, K K Sharma, had been rejected by co-ordinate bench of this court on May 12, 2025.On Jul 3, 2020, DSP Devendra Mishra and seven other UP Police personnel were killed in an ambush by Vikas Dubey’s gang members in the Bikru village in Kanpur when they were on their way to arrest gangster Dubey. Dubey was killed in an encounter after he tried to escape from custody of UP Police.After hearing both sides, court in its order dated Jun 16, directed the applicant to be released on bail.