Lakhimpur Kheri: SC asks UP to protect witnesses, record more statements

New Delhi, Oct 26: The Supreme Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to provide protection to the witnesses in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

The UP government informed the court that there are 23 eye witnesses of the 68 witnesses in the case.

The government also said 164 statements of the 30 witnesses have been taken. Further many are formal witnesses the UP government also informed.

The court said that the investigation agencies must get more witnesses to give statements. Further an order to speed up the forensic lab process was also issued. "If there is any difficulty in recording statements and unavailability of judicial officers, then nearest district judge has to ensure the availability of substitute," the Bench said. The case will be heard next on November 8.

During the previous hearing the court told the UP government that it needed to dispel the feeling that it was dragging its feet in the case. The court had asked why more witnesses had not been questioned by the government. "You have recorded the statements of only four witnesses so far out of 44. Why not more?", Chief Justice of India, N V Ramanna had said.

This should not be an unending story and the government must protect and record the statement of all the witnesses.

Ashish Mishra, son of union minister, Ajay Mishra is accused of running over four farmers during a protest on October 3. More persons were killed in the violence that erupted later. Mishra who has denied all charges was arrested on October 11.