Lucknow: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri has said that there was a ‘planned conspiracy’ to kill farmers. The main accused in the case is Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra. The SIT has said that charges against Ashish Mishra should be modified and they have written on this issue to a judge. The probing team wants ‘attempt to murder’ and other charges slapped against Ashish and the other accused.
The ruling BJP is preparing for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. No doubt, this development will come as a huge embarrassment for them. In spite of repeated calls for sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, the Narendra Modi government has continued to back him.
The killings at Lakhimpur Kheri caused massive anger among farmers, one of the most important voting blocs in the elections ahead. A total of eight people were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence Octobe 3, during a farmers’ protest.
After four farmers were run over, allegedly by an SUV driven by Ashish, violence broke out in which four more, including a journalist, were killed. Videos of the SUV running over protesting farmers at full speed attracted nation-wide anger and criticism.
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Two FIRs were filed by the Lakhimpur police. One was filed by the family of the dead farmers. It named Ashish as the main accused. The other FIR was filed by a one Sumit Jaiswal, a BJP worker in Lakhimpur, against unnamed farmers. In the FIR, Jaiswal accused the farmers of instigating the violence afterwards. In viral videos, Jaiswal was seen running from one of the SUVs that hit the farmers. He was later arrested as a co-accused in the Ashish Mishra FIR.
The UP government faced many tough questions as the Supreme Court heard a petition on the case. Last month, the Supreme Court directed the special investigation team to complete the investigation expeditiously. It also added three IPS officers to the team – those who are not from Uttar Pradesh. This was done over concerns that local policemen would manipulate the probe.