Lakhimpur Kheri Incident: Supreme Court seeks status report from UP government, will hear again tomorrow

The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on the Lakhimpur Kheri case till Friday. The court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report in the matter by tomorrow. A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant, and Justice Hima Kohli is hearing the matter. During the hearing on Thursday, the court has asked the UP government that it will tell in the status report against whom FIRs have been registered and whether those people have been arrested or not. Along with this, the court ordered the UP government to make immediate arrangements for the immediate treatment of the ailing mother who lost her son in the violence.

At the same time, the Uttar Pradesh government told the court that an SIT team and a single-member inquiry commission have been constituted to investigate the matter. So that a status report can also be filed. During this, the CJI said that two advocates had written a letter to the court on Tuesday. He said that the court had directed its registry to register the letter as a PIL, but by mistake, it was registered as a suo moto case.

It is noteworthy that eight people including four farmers and a journalist have lost their lives in this incident. The incident has created a political storm across the country. The opposition has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of protecting the culprits. Many big leaders of different parties have visited Lakhimpur Kheri.

It is noteworthy that on October 3, some farmers were taking out a procession in Lakhimpur Kheri in protest against the visit of UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Then four farmers were crushed by a speeding vehicle. After this incident, the enraged people thrashed two BJP workers and the driver of the vehicle. A journalist also lost his life in this incident of violence.

An FIR has been registered against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra and others under section 302 (murder) of IPC in the incident in the Tikuniya Kotwali area of ​​Lakhimpur Kheri district, but no arrest has been made so far. Farmer leaders have said that Ashish was in one of the cars that hit the farmers and killed them. However, the minister has denied these allegations.

State Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar had on Monday announced that the government would order a probe headed by a retired high court judge and pay a compensation of Rs 45 lakh to the families of the deceased farmers. His relatives will also get a government job. Apart from this, 10 lakh rupees will be given to the injured. On Tuesday, two lawyers wrote a letter to the Chief Justice regarding this incident, demanding a high-level judicial inquiry through the CBI under the supervision of the apex court.

Both the lawyers had urged to treat their letter as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) so that the culprits could be brought to justice. The letter also sought directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police to register an FIR in the matter and punish those involved in the incident. Notably, the apex court on Monday, while hearing a petition seeking permission to hold a satyagraha at Jantar Mantar by a farmers' body in protest against agricultural laws, had said that when such incidents happen, no one is responsible. does not take The apex court's remarks came after Attorney General KK Venugopal referred to the unfortunate incident at Lakhimpur Kheri.