2 arrested in Lakhimpur violence case, summons sent to Mishra’s son: UP Police

Lucknow: Two people were arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in Uttar Pradesh while summons were sent to the main accused, Ashish Mishra, son of the Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, for questioning, senior police officials said on Thursday.

Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said that two people , identified as Luv Kush and Ashish Pandey, were arrested. Kumar said so far names of total six accused have surfaced during the course of investigation, adding that three of them are dead now..Inspector General of Police Laxmi Singh, however, did not disclose names of the three deceased accounted for in connection with the incident.

The Lakhimpur police late on Thursday evening pasted a notice at the Union minister’s residence in Shahpura Kothi locality in Lakhimpur city, asking his son Ashish Mishra alias Monu to appear at the crime branch office in reserve police lines, Lakhimpur Kheri, at 10 am on Friday. The notice read that Ashish Mishra must appear in person and present evidences that he is aware of about the incident.

“If Ashish Mishra does not abide by the summons, legal procedure will be adopted,” IG Singh said, adding that there was no time limit in the summons sent to Mishra.

Luv Kush and Ashish Pandey were claimed to be close aides of Ashish Mishra and more raids were going on, people aware of the matter said. The arrests came only a few hours after the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a report within a day on how many arrests have been made so far in connection with the case.

ADG Kumar said the forensic team have found two cartridges and is examining one of the vehicles involved in the incident.

The IG added that the incidents of firing or any fire arm injuries were not confirmed in the post-mortem report of the eight deceased. She said the police will proceed with evidences that are coming up during the investigation.

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district on Sunday, in the bloodiest clash since the farmers’ protest over the Centre’s three contentious agricultural laws started last year. The farmers were allegedly knocked down by a convoy of vehicles, one of which belonged to Mishra. Two BJP workers -- Shubham Mishra and Shyam Sunder -- and a driver -- Hari Om Mishra -- were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by angry protesters. A journalist working for a private TV channel, Raman Kashyap, also died in the violence. The farmers allege that Mishra’s son was in the convoy.

The Lakhimpur Kheri violence has triggered a major political storm with the opposition leaders demanding the removal of Union minister Ajay Mishra, who on Wednesday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. He has claimed that his son was not in the car that ploughed through the protesters. He claimed the driver lost balance after being attacked by stone-pelters and then some protesters came under the car. Later, the driver was lynched and the car was set on fire, the minister has claimed. However, the police FIR states that Ashish Mishra was driving the car that ran over the protesters.

(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)