Police in Uttar Pradesh (UP) will present Ashish Mishra, the son of Junior Home Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, before a court in connection with the October 3 violence in the state’s Lakhimpur Kheri district.
On Monday, security was increased around the Lakhimpur Kheri sessions court as the police sought custody of Ashish, who was arrested on October 9. Ashish is accused of mowing down four people during a farmers’ protest against his father’s visit to Lakhimpur Kheri.
On October 9, he was questioned for 11 hours by a special investigation team (SIT) after failing to appear for summons due to health issues. DIG The SIT’s head, Upendra Agarwal told reporters that Ashish was detained “due to non-cooperation and evasive responses.”
The protesters, according to Ashish and his father-son duo, lynched two BJP workers and the driver of their car. According to them, the vehicle overturned after being attacked by protesters, killing the four farmers. The violence also claimed the life of a local journalist.
According to ANI, Lakhimpur Kheri district jail superintendent P P Singh stated that Mishra was housed in quarantine barrack number 21, which is designated for new jail inmates.
On October 7, the police also arrested two alleged close associates of Ashish.
The arrests came after the Supreme Court requested a status report on the investigation from the UP government.
Ajay Kumar and Ashish have accused the protesters of lynching two BJP workers and the driver of their car, claiming the vehicle overturned after being attacked. Ashish has also stated that he was at a wrestling event about 4-5 kilometres away from the scene of the violence. The police, on the other hand, is said to have established his location in and around the crime scene using a mobile tower location.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) filed by Mishra’s aides against the farmers, his driver Hari Om was driving the vehicle that allegedly ran over the farmers. According to NDTV, a police video analysis shows the driver wearing a white shirt or kurta, while Hari Om was found wearing a yellow kurta.