Minister’s son Ashish Mishra named in Lakhimpur Kheri FIR; farmers end agitation

Lucknow/Lakhimpur Kheri: Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra and others have been booked for murder, criminal conspiracy and 20 other charges in an FIR (First Information Report) filed by a farmer in connection with Sunday’s violence in Lakhimpur Kheri where eight people died, senior Uttar Pradesh police officials said on Monday.

The development came even as the farmers in the district ended their protests and agreed to perform the last rites of the deceased farmers.

Lakhimpur Kheri superintendent of police (SP) Vijay Dhull said the FIR was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 for murder, 304-A for causing death due to reckless driving, 120-B for criminal conspiracy and 147 for rioting at the Tikunia police station.

HT Editorial | The cauldron boils over: Lakhimpur Kheri

Eight people, including four farmers and a local journalist Raman Kashyap, died on Sunday in violence that broke out after at least one car, allegedly driven by the minister’s son, hit protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, prompting an angry crowd to burn two vehicles and widen their agitation.

The minister and his son have denied involvement in the incident.

Several opposition leaders tried to make their way to the Lakhimpur Kheri village through the night but were prevented from doing so.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, later announced at a joint conference with Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary (agriculture) Devesh Chaturvedi and additional director general (ADG) of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, that the farmers have decided to end their protest.

Additional chief secretary ( home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the Uttar Pradesh government will give ₹45 lakh each and a government job at the local level to the family members of all eight deceased persons, while the injured will be given ₹10 lakh each.

Prashant Kumar said the situation was normal in Lakhimpur Kheri after the farmers ended their agitation with the state government agreeing to their demands. He said police deployment in the district will continue for a few more days as a precautionary measure.

“We have assured them of strictest action against those involved behind the violence and deaths of eight people. The inquiry of the incident will be carried out by a retired judge of the high court,” ADG Prashant Kumar said.

Earlier in the day, arson was reported near the Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters in Lucknow when a police jeep was set afire by unknown people. A huge crowd had gathered amid police deployment to restrict the party chief, Akhilesh Yadav, from going to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Apart from Yadav, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Bahujan Samaj Party’s SC Mishra and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Sanjay Singh were among those also prevented by police from going to the trouble spot, about 80 km from the district headquarters and 225 km from Lucknow.

Yadav, along with his supporters, was detained for a few hours in Lucknow. Besides, several political leaders were placed under house arrest to restrict their movement towards Lakhimpur Kheri. Priyanka Gandhi also was detained in Sitapur as she managed to cross the Lucknow limits.

Priyanka Gandhi put out a video message alleging that this country belongs to the farmers and not to the BJP. She said she was going to Lakhimpur to share the pain of the farmers injured in the violent clashes and it was no crime.

The ADG stated that leaders of political parties were not allowed to visit Lakhimpur Kheri as Section 144 of CrPC was in place. However, members of farm unions were allowed, he added.

Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson and cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh termed the opposition attempt to go to Lakhimpur a “political stunt” aimed at vitiating the peace.