Lakhimpur / Uttar Pradesh Police pastes notice outside the residence of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri

Lakhimpur | The UP Police has swung into action after the Supreme Court sought a report on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Police have pasted notice at the house of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and ordered his son to appear at 10 am tomorrow, October 8. Meanwhile, the police have told that two other accused Lavkush and Ashish Pandey have been arrested.

The name of Ashish, the son of the Minister of State for Home, has been named as the main accused in the violence that killed 8 people including 4 farmers on Sunday. Even after the registration of a case against Ashish on the complaint of the farmers, the police had kept silence till now. However, on Thursday, the Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL on this matter, has sought a report from the UP Police.

In the notice pasted under Section 160 of IPC, the police said that Ashish Mishra will have to appear in person at the Crime Branch Office, Reserve Police Lines on October 8 at 10 am. They have also been asked to produce written/oral and electronic evidence.

Terming as "unfortunate" the killing of eight people, including four farmers, in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on October 3, the Supreme Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report by Friday. In this status report, the state government has to tell the details of the accused named in the FIR as well as whether they have been arrested. The top court has also sought details of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government and the judicial inquiry commission.

The incident, which created a political storm, was heard by a three-member bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli as a case of suo motu cognizance. Opposition parties have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Uttar Pradesh of protecting the culprits. The bench said, "You yourself have said, it has been told in the news and also in the letter petition that we have received, that 8 persons, some of whom are farmers and one is a journalist and other persons have also been killed. These are all unfortunate incidents in which different people have been killed.