Vaishnavi, the eldest daughter of the late Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Kumar Mishra Mishra, who was killed by gangster Vikas Dubey’s men, has decided to become a police officer like her father giving up her ‘lifelong dream’ of becoming a doctor.
‘I will send criminals like Vikas Dubey where they belong,’ the B.Sc final-year student said. Her younger sister Vaishardi, a Class 12 student, wants to qualify for the Civil Services. ‘Together, we will fulfil the dreams he had for us,’ she told the Indian Express.
Vaishnavi has demanded a CBI probe in her father’s murder. DySp Mishra (59) was among eight police personnel killed in Bikru village of Kanpur district during a raid to capture gangster Dubey and his associates. At Mishra’s home in Kanpur’s Swaroop Nagar, his daughters still don’t know as to who tipped off Dubey about Mishra arriving to catch him? Or why was the power cut off to the village during the raid?
‘The entire department knew about my father’s bravery. He was involved in busting the Kalua gang. He started his career as a constable in the 1980s and after clearing the Sub-Inspector examination, reached the post of Deputy DP with out-of-turn promotions because of his good work. He was posted in districts like Unnao, Basti and Noida. The last we saw him was two days before the incident. He was posted in a corona-affected area and used to meet us either in the lobby or the open space outside. There were times when he used to cry about how he could not meet us properly,’ said Vaishnavi.
Anant Deo, the former SSP of Kanpur who is now DIG in the Special Task Force, said that Mishra had complained about the SO’s behaviour. ‘Such differences between seniors and juniors are common in almost every profession… I don’t think that had any direct connection to the incident,’ he said.
‘My father was against immorality and injustice, and that was the reason he joined the police. Little did we know that he would have to give his life for this, that too when he was just a few months from retirement. Every year, on Guru Purnima, we used to celebrate my birthday. Today is Guru Purnima, but he is not here… we don’t know how to live without him,’ said Vaishardi on the verge of crying.
