Union minister's son in judicial custody over Lakhimpur incident; court to hear matter tomorrow
Ashish Mishra, who has been charged with murder, was arrested on Saturday after 12 hours of interrogation by the Uttar Pradesh police. Ashish Mishra was later taken to the district jail. Deputy inspector general (state police headquarters) Upendra Agarwal said Ashish Mishra was arrested because he not cooperating during the interrogation and didn't answer a few questions.
Police officials said Ashish was questioned about his location and involvement in the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri that resulted in the death of eight people, including four farmers, on October 3. They said the nine-member investigation committee prepared 40 questions for Ashish, who did not clarify his location at the time of the incident.
UP police’s additional director general, law and order, Prashant Kumar has said they have identified six people as accused. Three of them have died in the violence, two have been arrested and the sixth is Ashish Mishra. Another accused was unidentified. The police have also raided several places to look for former Union minister Akhilesh Das’ nephew Ankit Das, who said to be accompanying Ashish Mishra in his SUV at the time of the incident, in Lucknow and Lakhimpur Kheri. Das’ black SUV was seen, in videos of the incident shared on social media, following the minister’s car that allegedly mowed down four farmers after which violence broke out. Ankit Das was not found but his driver has been taken into custody.
Ashish Mishra’s arrest came after came a day after the Supreme Court questioned the non-arrest of the accused, directed preservation of evidence and mulled transferring the probe to another agency. A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said that the law must take its course against all accused and the government has to take all remedial steps in this regard to inspire confidence in the investigation of the brutal murder of eight people.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the agitation against the three central farm laws, alleged that the violence was held under a pre-planned conspiracy and demanded the arrest of the minister and his son. Ajay Mishra should be “dismissed from the cabinet and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy. He is also protecting the culprits in the case”, SKM leader Yogendra Yadav alleged during a press conference in Delhi.
The farmer unions said they will take out a 'Shaheed Kisan Yatra' from Lakhimpur Kheri with the ashes of slain farmers if the government does not accept their demands by October 11. Yadav said SKM will burn the effigies of the prime minister and the home minister to protest against the violence on Dusshera on October 15. The SKM also gave a call for a “rail roko” protest across the country from 10am to 4pm on October 18 and a “mahapanchayat” in Lucknow on October 26.
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