Gangster Vikas Dubey, the prime accused in the deadly ambush that left eight policemen dead, has been arrested from Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, news agency ANI reported, citing Uttar Pradesh government sources. As per Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh, Vikas Dubey was going to Ujjain Mahakal temple when he was identified by security personnel.

“Police were informed, he confessed his identity after being pushed for it. He has been apprehended by police and interrogation is underway,” the official said.

Vikas Dubey had been on the run since last Friday when eight policemen were killed during a raid to arrest the gangster following a fresh case of attempt to murder. The history-sheeter, who allegedly received a tip-off from the police ahead of the raid turned it into an ambush that saw eight police personnel sacrifice their lives.

Efforts to arrest the fugitive gangster had picked pace over the past week, wit the UP Police forming 25 teams to arrest him. Multiple raids had been carried out over the past week that saw several of Dubey’s close aides and associates being arrested or killed in encounters.

The arrest comes on a day when two of his close aides were killed in two separate encounters by the UP Police. Bahua Dubey, who was present with Vikas Dubey at the time of the police raid at Kanpur’s Bikru village where eight policemen were killed, was killed in an encounter with police today morning.

 Another of the gangster’s aides who died today is Prabhat Mishra, among the three men who were arrested on Wednesday. Mishra died after getting shot in his leg while he tried to escape custody.

A Deputy Superintendent of Police, Devendra Kumar Mishra, three sub-inspectors and four constables were killed in the ambush by the gangster and his aides, allegedly following a tip-off from the local police.

A total of 68 policemen stationed at the Chaubeypur police station, under whose jurisdiction the Bikru village falls, have been removed. Earlier this week, Vikas Dubey’s house where the shootout took place was demolished by authorities. The prize money on his head had also been increased to a hefty Rs 5 lakh. He was said to have been spotted in security camera footage at a Faridabad hotel on Tuesday. The police had set up a strong vigil in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and adjoining Madhya Pradesh for the arrest of Vikas Dubey.