The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a single-person committee to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Pradeep Kumar Shrivastava, a retired Allahabad High Court judge, will investigate the incident and report within two months.
According to ANI, a notification signed by Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi stated that the one-man panel was formed in the opinion of governor Anandiben Patel, who stated that an investigation is required due to the public importance.
In the violence in Tikunia, Lakhimpur Kheri, four out of the eight people that were killed on Sunday were farmers.
In the meantime, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court filed an independent public interest lawsuit regarding the violence. The case will be heard today by a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and including justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.
“In Re Violence in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) leading to Loss of Life,” the suo motu (on its motion) case has been filed.
Local farmers blame Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’, the home minister, and his son Ashish Mishra for the violence that killed four cultivators. According to farm groups, protesters were mowed down from behind by a Mahindra Thar owned by Mishra on their way home from a demonstration on Sunday afternoon.
The minister and his son deny the charge, claiming that farmers pelted the car with stones, causing the driver to lose control. They also accuse the demonstrators of lynching two BJP workers as well as the car’s driver.
Despite the fact that Ashish Mishra and 20 others have been charged with murder, farmers continue to demand his arrest.
Following the incident, opposition parties began attacking the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. A number of leaders from the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and other parties attempted to visit Tikunia but were stopped by Uttar Pradesh Police, who cited Section 144 of the CrPC prohibitory orders in the area. Finally, on Wednesday, the state government lifted the restrictions, allowing all politicians to visit the village.
Following the relaxations, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi, AICC general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal, party MP Deepender Hooda, and Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Kumar Lallu, traveled to the remote village, which is about 10 kilometres from the India-Nepal border.