Lakhimpur Kheri case: Minister's son summoned for questioning
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Oct, 2021 10:39 AM
Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 7 (IANS) The Lakhimpur Kheri police has summoned Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, for questioning in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which nine persons, including four farmers, were killed.
Inspector General of Police Laxmi Singh said two persons are already being questioned in the case.
A notice under CrPC 160 has been pasted at the Lakhimpur Kheri residence of Ashish Mishra and he has been asked to present himself at the crime branch office of the reserve police lines at 10.a.m. on Friday.
Ashish Mishra is the main accused in the violence that erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday and left eight dead.
Violence erupted when four farmers were allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, including Ashish Mishra.
Farmers allege that the minister's son was in one of the cars that mowed the farmers. Ashish has been named in the FIR lodged in connection with the incident under IPC Section 302 (murder).
"If Ashish Mishra does not abide by the summons, legal procedure will be adopted," Singh said, but added that there was no time limit in the summons sent to Ashish.
Opposition parties have been demanding immediate arrest of the accused in the case and the matter has now been taken up by the Supreme Court which has asked the state government to submit a status report on Friday.
The activists of Punjab Congress will walk towards Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh if Priyanka Gandhi is not released and the Union Minister's son accused of murder not arrested, said state party President Navjot Sidhu on Tuesday.
Referring to police action against protesting farmers in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, the BJP leader said, "Congress leaders who are very keen to visit Lakhimpur Kheri have not uttered a single word against police lathicharge on farmers in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan."
Comparisons are on in social media whether this arrest could change the Congress fortunes as after Indira Gandhi's arrest and later in the election in 1980 the Congress returned with a thumping majority.
During the 45-minute long meeting with the Home Minister, Channi also discussed the security situation of the state and demanded that the border must be sealed properly to effectively prevent the smuggling of weapons from Pakistan.
It is the largest agricultural protest to take place in India and others from around the world have also joined in, tens of thousands of farmers have camped for months on major highways to New Delhi to oppose the three laws.
