Farmers Movement Archive

Lakhimpur Kheri: Supreme Court to continue hearing today. Here's what happened in last proceeding

The Supreme Court will continue hearing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case on Tuesday, a week after it rapped the Uttar Pradesh police for “dragging its feet” in the investigation. Noting that the special investigation team (SIT) probing the violence needed to get more witnesses to record their statements, the top court adjourned the proceedings last week to October 26. The bench asserted that the SIT must identify the vulnerable witnesses, provide them protection and record their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), as it will have more evidentiary value.Also Read | Lakhimpur Kheri case key accused Ashish Mishra tested for dengue, hospitalisedAs many as eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed on October 3 during a farmers' protest in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district. An SUV, belonging to Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra's convoy, ran over them. Thirteen people, including Ashish Mishra, the prime suspect in the case and the Union minister’s son, have so far been arrested in connection with the incident.In its hearing last week, the Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government why the statements of only four witnesses had been recorded till then. Senior advocate Harish Halve, appearing for the government, sought to dispel the query by saying the police have arrested a number of those accused in the incident and that the statements of other witnesses were being recorded when the courts had shut due to the Dussehra break.The Supreme Court also asked the government why police custody of other accused was not sought, noting, “Until and unless they are interrogated by police, you won't find out.”Also Read | What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri: Sequence of events according to both sidesEarlier, too, the top court expressed its dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Uttar Pradesh government in the “brutal murder” of the eight men in Lakhimpur Kheri. On October 8, the top court said it was “not satisfied” with the action taken in the violence and also questioned the Uttar Pradesh government regarding the delay in arresting accused Ashish Mishra.Ashish, who was taken into police remand, has in the meanwhile contracted dengue and was sent to the district jail on Saturday evening for treatment at its healthcare facility, according to police officials familiar with the development. On Friday, he was taken into two-day police custody along with three others for further interrogation in the case.

Hindustan Times

26-10-2021

India