Kheri violence: SIT chief transferred

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday transferred DIG Upendra Kumar Agarwal, heading the SIT probing into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, to Gonda but will continue to supervise the investigation.

While transferring Agarwal to Gonda from the UP PHQ, the state police headquarters made it clear that it was a routine exercise and he will continue to head the Special Investigation Team set up to probe into the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed.

Agarwal is a 2005-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

As per the UP PHQ's transfer notification, five other IPS officers too have been given new postings.

When asked about Agarwal's transfer, UP Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that he will continue to lead the SIT team investigating the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was arrested by the SIT after 12 hours of grilling on October 9. Besides the minister's son, 10 others too have been arrested in this case so far.

Meanwhile, Ashish Mishra was on Friday remanded in police custody for two days.

It was for the second time that he was remanded in police custody by Lakhimpur Kheri's Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram.