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A petition has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking CBI probe into the violence that took place at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on October 3. The plea has been filed on behalf of Swadesh and Prayag Legal Aid Clinic.

The public interest litigation (PIL) through letter petition also demands otherwise an independent judicial enquiry into the matter under the monitoring of the High Court.

It is to be noted that 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.

The plea before the High court urges for Court’s suo moto cognizance of the matter stating that it has come to be the knowledge of petitioners that cross FIRs will be registered soon and the farmers across the country will protest against this horrible and unfortunate incident across the country.

Therefore, recalling the Red Fort, Delhi incident where farmers broke down all the securities measures to ensure their commitment to hoist their flag at Red Fort, plea avers that after the dreadful incident of massacre at Lakhimpur Khiri, U.P the need of judicial intervention is very necessary.

The plea alleges that in the State where state machinery by the help of Police and through its Intelligence force i.e Local Inspection Unit (LIU) keep an eye to the securities measures adapted before any VIP Movement, still an incident as such took place at Lakhimpur Kheri.

It adds that this incident has opened the real and neglected behavior of securities agencies against a VIP movement and as well as against protestants showing the real face of law and order in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Contending that the law and order of Uttar Pradesh is in great danger and any miss happening may happen if any preventive action may not be taken by the state at an earliest, the petitioners, therefore, demand for immediate action.  

According to the plea, through reliable news portals an incident came to be the knowledge of petitioners on October 3, 2021, where a news of Lakhimpur Khiri incident was trolling.

It adds that according to the sourced news, an unfortunate incident took place at Tikonia Banbirpur Road, District Lakhimpur Khiri,U.P on Sunday 2021 where at least eight people were killed as violence broke out during a farmer's protest against Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Visits.

Plea further states that 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 Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM.

Plea alleges that the farmers were opposing Maurya's visit to Banbirpur, the native village of Union minister of state for Home Khiri MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.

Case Title: Swadesh & Prayag Legal Aid Clinic and ors. v. State of UP