Dragging your feet, can't be unending story: SC to UP on Lakhimpur Kheri violence
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Oct, 2021 11:30 AM
New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for delay in recording statements of witnesses before a judicial magistrate in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, where eight persons were killed, and also told the state government to dispel the impression that it is dragging its feet in the matter.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli told the Uttar Pradesh government counsel, "You are dragging your feet. Please dispel that impression".
Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that a report on the incident has been filed in a sealed cover.
The bench replied, "No, that was not required and we have just received it now...we waited till 1 a.m. last night for any filing. But we received nothing".
Justice Kant added that the court never said anything about the sealed cover. Salve informed the bench that four out of 44 witnesses in the matter have recorded their statements under section 164 (before a judicial magistrate), and 10 accused have been arrested so far.
Salve said there are two crimes: one where the car was driven into farmers and the other one was in connection with the lynching.
The bench shot back at the Uttar Pradesh government counsel, "Why haven't other witnesses recorded their statements?"
Salve replied that it is going on and added that out of the ten accused, four were in police custody.
The bench queried what happened to the other six accused. It added, "You did not seek custody so they were sent to judicial custody. What is the situation in this case?"
Salve submitted that the statements of other witnesses were being recorded, but the courts were shut.
The bench queried further, "Criminal courts closed for Dussehra vacation?"
The chief justice observed, "This should not be an unending story, this is all we want".
Salve sought time in the matter. After hearing arguments, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on October 26.
The top court had registered a petition on the basis of a letter by two lawyers seeking a probe by the CBI in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The police identified the victim as hakeem Satnam Singh who was attacked at his clinic on Thursday in the limits of Faqirabad police station. A police official said that unknown assailants, whose number could not be ascertained, opened fire on the victim and managed to escape from the scene, the Dawn news report said.
Chief Secretary H.K. Diwedi held an emergency meeting with the District Magistrates and Superintendent of Polices of West and East Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Hooghly, and Howrah on Thursday evening and took stock of the situation. After that the state government decided to deploy the Army in certain areas. However, NDRF teams have been kept on standby.
According to sources, Amarinder Singh will convene a meeting of leaders close to him in a few days to consider the formation of his new party, which will include all the leaders of the anti-Sidhu faction.
The arrested persons have been identified as Abdul Khalid, Shriram Chaurasia, Zishan Ahmad, Vikas Kesarwani and Krishna Kumar. Inspector (Kareli) Anupam Sharma said the arrested persons had sold SIM cards to law-breakers at high prices after creating fake IDs.
The ex-CM of Punjab recalled that Rawat himself had publicly stated after meeting him that he was satisfied by his government's track record on the 2017 poll promises.
It is learnt that Channi in his first meeting with the Prime Minister after becoming chief minister of Punjab requested that the Centre take back its decision to postpone paddy procurement by 10 days. The Centre has postponed the procurement of paddy by 10 days due to rain in Punjab and Haryana. Earlier the procurement was supposed to start from October 1 but now it will start from October 11.
