Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court directs Uttar Pradesh to upgrade SIT, UP agrees to retired judge appointment to monitor probe

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to upgrade the SIT formed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, which claimed the lives of 8 persons, including 4 farmers, who were allegedly mowed down by vehicles in the convoy of Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli listed the matter to Wednesday to decide the name of the retired judge to supervise the SIT probe after the UP government agreed to the appointment of the retired judge. The Uttar Pradesh government assured it will do the needful by Wednesday.

The Apex Court directed the induction of senior officials into the SIT to ensure proper investigation as it consists mostly of officers in the grade of Sub-Inspectors from the Lakhimpur Kheri region. Earlier, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government over the delay in filing its status report in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

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Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri when a group of farmers agitating against the Centre’s three farm laws and was also holding a demonstration against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on October 3. In the violence, four more lives had been lost at the same day. Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ajay Mishra is the prime accused in the case.