Lakhimpur Kheri Incident: UP police registers FIR against Ashish Mishra and 15-20 ‘unknow persons’
A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged in the recent Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The complainant Jagjeet Singh, a native of Bahraich district got the FIR registered on October 4 demanding arrest of the accused persons.
The FIR has been registered against Ashish Mishra alias Monu and 15-20 ‘unknow persons’ under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 148, 149 (all three related to rioting), 279 (rash driving), 338 (causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life), 304A (causing death by negligence), 302 (murder), 120B (party to a criminal conspiracy) at the Tikunia police station.
Accused Ashish Mishra is son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra 'Teni'. On October 3, the Union Minister and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya were scheduled to visit Banbirpur, Tikunia for a cultural function.
According to the FIR, the farmers had gathered on October 3 at the sports ground of the Maharaja Agrasen Inter-College, Tikunia Kheri wanting to peacefully show black flags to the Ministers.
"The farmers had gathered to lodge their protest after a video went viral in which the Union minister made comments during a public meeting and threatened to chase out the farmers from the state," the FIR states.
It further adds that the Central Government didn't act against the Minister regarding his viral video and now this horrific act has been committed by his son.
The FIR reads,
"The incident took place at around 3 pm when Mishra, along with 15-20 others, who were armed with weapons, came to the protest site in Banbirpur in 3 speeding four-wheelers. Monu Mishra, who was sitting on the left side of his Mahindra Thar vehicle, opened gunfire, mowed down the crowd and went ahead. The firing led to the death of Farmer Gurvinder Singh, son of Sukhwinder, resident of Matronia in Nanpara on the spot."
The FIR also alleges that Ashish’s car overturned on the side of the road causing injuries to several other people present on the side of the road. Thereafter, escaping from his car Ashish opened fire and hid in the nearby sugarcane field.
As per the FIR, in this incident four farmers died including Gurvinder Singh, Daljit Singh, Nakshatra Singh and Lovepreet Singh. FIR also adds that several other farmers got injured as well.
Therefore, seeking serious cognizance of the matter, the complainant has requested for immediate arrests.
The Incident
According to the media reports, on October 3, 2021 an unfortunate incident took place at Tikonia Banbirpur Road, District Lakhimpur Khiri,U.P where at least eight people were killed as violence broke out during a protest against Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Visits.
Reportedly, violence ensued in the area after the two SUVs, in the convoy of a union minister, allegedly ran over a group of farmers protesting against the anti-farm laws during the visit of Deputy CM.
However, the allegation of the crowd being run over is disputed. It is being alleged that the incident was not intentional as the car driver lost control of the vehicle when he got hit by something on his head following attacks by some violent elements in the garb of protesters.
On Monday while announcing ex-gratia compensation for the kin of people who died in the incident, Uttar Pradesh government has already announced that a retired High Court judge would probe the issue.
Also, a petition has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking CBI probe into the matter and another letter has been also written to CJI seeking a time-bound CBI probe into the matter.