SIT files chargesheet, Union minister's son named accused

Lakhimpur Kheri: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed eight lives, has filed a chargesheet against 14 accused, including Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra.

The chargesheet was filed 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. On Monday, senior prosecution officer (SPO) S P Yadav told reporters that another accused Virendra Shukla's name has been added to 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.

Ajay Mishra is currently the MP from Kheri Lok Sabha seat.

The SIT had recently filed a report in a local court calling the October 3 incident a "planned conspiracy". It said the killings "did not happen due to negligence or callousness" and that the actions of the accused were "deliberate with an intention to kill". On the SIT's request, the court added the charges of attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt against the accused.