ASHISH MISHRA’S GAME OVER, ARRESTED IN LAKHIMPUR VIOLENCE CASE
Lucknow, Oct.: Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra, accused of running over and killing farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri, was arrested by the district police late on Saturday after being questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of crime branch.
Sources also claimed that following his interrogation, the SIT recommended to the district police to add some more sections of IPC in the FIR lodged against Ashish Mishra as they were not convinced with his version of the violent incident that has rocked the entire nation last Sunday.
As Ashish Mishra’s interrogation continued till late Saturday evening by the six-member SIT, headed by DIG Upendra Agarwal, in the Lakhimpur crime branch office, he reportedly provided videos and affidavits of 10 persons to the police authorities to prove that he was not inside the vehicle that had ploughed into the group of protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri last week.
Ashish Mishra had on Friday skipped summons that asked him to appear for questioning before the SIT in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3. Ashish, the main accused in the case, appeared before the SIT on Saturday, before 11 am, the time mentioned in the second summons served to him after he did not turn up.
Earlier on Saturday, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — an umbrella body of farmers protesting against the contentious farm laws — called for ‘rail roko’ on October 18 and a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on October 26 to protest Lakhimpur Kheri violence and demand the arrest of Union minister Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish. “Union Minister Ajay Mishra should be removed and arrested as he started this conspiracy,” SKM leader Yogendra Yadav said, adding that they will burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Dusshera on October 15.
Meanwhile, amid demands by the Opposition to arrest the Union minister’s son, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said there will be no injustice with anyone and no action will be taken under any kind of pressure or without evidence. This comes a day after the Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL over the matter, said that it was not satisfied with the steps taken by the UP government to address the issue.
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Photo: shish Mishra, accused in the Tikonia violence case, arrives at the Crime Branch office in Lakhimpur Kheri, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. (PTI)
