Four days after eight people were killed after a minister’s car allegedly crushed protesters in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP police arrested two men, identified as Lavkush Rana and Ashish Pandey, while Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni The identity of his son Ashish Mishra is still not known. Police said the two arrested are close aides of Ashish and more raids are on. Hours after the arrest, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the UP government to submit a report within a day on how many arrests have been made so far in connection with the case.
“In the status report also tell us about the eight persons who have been killed. Farmers, journalists, etc. It is an unfortunate incident. Tell us whom you registered FIR against. How many have you arrested,” the Supreme Court said as it heard a case on Lakhimpur violence. “The grievance is that you are not registering a proper FIR and a proper investigation not taking place,” Chief Justice NV Ramana said.
The Lakhimpur Kheri violence has triggered a major political storm as the main accused Asish Mishra, who has been named in police FIR, is the son of the minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni. As the opposition leaders are raising demand for the removal of Ajay Mishra, the minister of state on Wednesday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Ajay Mishra has been claiming that his son was not there in the car which ran over the protesters. He claimed the driver lost the balance after being attacked by stone pelters and then some protesters came under the car. Later, his driver was lynched and the car was set on fire, the minister has claimed.
