Lakhimpur Kheri violence: SIT files chargesheet; MoS' son Ashish Mishra named prime accused

Lucknow, Jan 03: The Uttar Pradesh Police's special investigation team probing the Lakhimpur Kheri incident has named Union Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Misra Teni's son Ashish as a prime accused in its 5,000-page chargesheet in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Chinta Ram on Monday.

In FIR number 219/2021 lodged with Tikunia Police Station, the SIT had identified and arrested 13 accused, including Ashish Mishra 'Monu', Ankit Das, Nandan Singh Bisht, Satyam Tripathi alias Satyam, Latif alias Kale, Shekhar Bharti, Sumit Jaiswal, Ashish Pandey, Lavkush Rana, Shishu Pal, Ullas Kumar alias Mohit Trivedi, Rinku Rana and Dharmendra Banjara.

The filing of the chargesheet comes almost three months since the incident took place in Tikunia village of Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh on October 3 last year.

On Monday, senior prosecution officer (SPO) S P Yadav told reporters that another accused Virendra Shukla's name has been added in the chargesheet under section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the Indian Penal Code. However, Shukla is yet to be arrested.

Yadav said the chargesheet against all 14 accused was filed in the court and the proceedings are on.

Violence had erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 last year when farmers were protesting the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Mishra's native place. Four agitating farmers were run over by a vehicle while four others, including a journalist, two BJP workers were also killed in the violence that ensued.

Opposition is up in arms against the government demanding the saking of Ajay Mishra, currently the MP from Kheri Lok Sabha seat.

with PTI inputs