New Delhi, October 26:
The Supreme Court Tuesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to grant protection to witnesses of Lakhimpur Kheri incident, in which a convoy of SUVs ran over farmers on October 3, killing four of them. The top court also sought a status report on probe into the death of Shyam Sunder and journalist Raman Kashyap and will now hear the case on November 8.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh government told the apex court that 164 statements of 30 people, out of which 23 are eye witnesses, has been recorded so far.
Following this, the apex court asked the state government to convey its concerns to forensic labs on preparation of reports on electronic evidence.
The court also asked the state government to record statements of relevant witnesses, and asked the district judge to take services of judicial magistrates.
On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), that is probing the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, arrested three people taking the total number of people arrested in connection with the killing of the farmers and the journalist to 13.
Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) announced Monday that farmers will protest across various states on Tuesday against police inaction in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which a convoy of SUVs ran over farmers on October 3, killing four of them. The protest will be carried out from 11 am to 2 pm and farmers shall submit memorandums to the sub divisional magistrates, tehsildars or deputy commissioners in their respective places.
Meanwhile, Minister of State Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, who is the prime accused in the deaths of four farmers and a journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, was on Sunday admitted to the district hospital after he was tested positive for dengue. A police force has been deployed at the hospital to ensure security.
