The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the violence that took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming eight lives including four farmers. A bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana, also comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Surya Kant, will hear the matter on Thursday.
The top court decided to take up the matter on its own owing to the increasing outcry over the deaths of farmers and the consequential police action in the case.
Four of the eight dead in Sunday’s violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area. The others including BJP workers and their driver were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish but no arrest has been made so far. The police have said they were investigating the crash and had registered a case against 13 people.
Junior minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, meanwhile, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi for the first time since a murder case was registered against Ashish for allegedly mowing down four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. PTI quoted sources saying Mishra is understood to have briefed Shah about Sunday’s incident in his home district of Lakhimpur Kheri. Mishra has denied allegations of his son’s involvement.
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait demanded Mishra’s resignation and the arrest of all accused, warning that a nationwide agitation will be launched if authorities failed to implement within a week the agreement made with the farmers. “Our protest has not ended. We will wait till eight days since the agreement and if the demands are not fulfilled a nationwide agitation would be launched,” Tikait told reporters.