Lakhimpur Kheri violence: SIT files chargesheet, Union minister’s son named accused

PTI, Jan 3, 2022, 3:39 PM IST

Union minister Ajay Misra's son Ashish Mishra being taken to be produced before a magistrate in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 9. | PTI

Lakhimpur Kheri: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed eight lives, has filed a charge sheet against 14 accused, including Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra.

The charge sheet was filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Chinta Ram on Monday.

In FIR number 219/2021 lodged with Tikunia Police Station, the SIT had identified and arrested 13 accused, including Ashish Mishra ‘Monu’, Ankit Das, Nandan Singh Bisht, Satyam Tripathi alias Satyam, Latif alias Kale, Shekhar Bharti, Sumit Jaiswal, Ashish Pandey, Lavkush Rana, Shishu Pal, Ullas Kumar alias Mohit Trivedi, Rinku Rana, and Dharmendra Banjara.

On Monday, senior prosecution officer (SPO) S P Yadav told reporters that another accused Virendra Shukla’s name has been added to the charge-sheet under section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, Shukla is yet to be arrested. Yadav said the charge-sheet against all 14 accused was filed in the court and the proceedings are on.

Violence had erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 last year when farmers were protesting the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Mishra’s native place.

Four agitating farmers were run over by a vehicle while four others, including a journalist, two BJP workers were also killed in the violence that ensued.

Ajay Mishra is currently the MP from the Kheri Lok Sabha seat.