Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: UP Police File Chargesheet Naming Ashish Mishra As Prime Accused Before Local Court

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a charge sheet in the Lakhimpur Kheri Violence case before a local Court in Lakhimpur naming Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish Mishra as the prime accused, reported NDTV.However, the 5,000-page charge sheet doesn't name Union Minister as an accused in the case, but the name of one Virendra Shukla, a relative of Asish Mishra has been added as an accused in the case, the Public Prosecutor SP Yadav informed the Media today.If the Court accepts the charge sheet filed by the UP Police, the trial in the violence case would commence. It may be noted that on October 3, several farmers were holding protests against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur Kheri district, when four protesting farmers were killed after they were mowed down by an SUV.Allegedly, the SUV was the part of the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra/Thereafter, the police had filed a first information report against Ashish Mishra (son of minister Ajay Kumar Mishra) and several others in connection with the violence case under Section 302 IPC.It may be noted that last month, the Special Investigation Team of the Uttar Pradesh police that is probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident had said before the Lakhimpur local Court that there was a planned conspiracy to kill the people present during the incident."It appears from the probe that has been conducted and material collected till now that the said act wasn't a negligent act committed by the accused, rather, it was done intentionally as per premeditated plan to kill...", the application filed by the SIT avers.Further, the police had also prayed before the Court that Sections 304A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (negligent driving), and 338 (causing grievous hurt) against all accused be removed and instead, Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing hurt with dangerous weapon), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 3/25 Arms Act be registered against them.The Supreme Court in November 2021 appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the investigation in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.This order came from the bench headed by the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, which is hearing a PIL registered on the basis of a letter petition sent by two lawyers seeking an impartial probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3.

Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: UP Police File Chargesheet Naming Ashish Mishra As Prime Accused Before Local Court

Sparsh Upadhyay

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