Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Ashish Mishra sent to three-day police custody

Lakhimpur Kheri: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday got three-day remand of Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence on October 3.

“Police had demanded a 14-day remand of Ashish. They have got three-day remand from October 12 to 15,” senior prosecution officer (SPO) SP Yadav told reporters.

The remand will end on October 15 morning.

The police remand was granted by Chief Judicial Magistrate Chintaram, with the condition that Ashish Mishra will not be harassed and his lawyer will remain present during interrogation, Yadav said.

Earlier, a court had sent Ashish Mishra to 14-day judicial custody.

Ashish was arrested on Saturday night after around 12 hours of questioning in connection with the Lakhimpur violence.

Mishra was named in an FIR following allegations that he was in one of the vehicles that mowed down four farmers protesting over UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’’s visit last Sunday.

While farmer leaders and opposition parties had been demanding Mishra’’s arrest, the minister and his son had denied the allegations.

Two BJP workers and their driver were allegedly lynched by angry farmers in the violence. Local journalist Raman Kashyap also died.

Aged around 35, Ashish Mishra, alias Monu, looks after political activities of his father in his Kheri parliamentary constituency and was also vying for party ticket from the Nighasan seat to contest the upcoming UP Assembly polls.

The Supreme Court had on Friday questioned the non-arrest of the accused, directing preservation of evidence and mulled over transferring the probe to another agency.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws, had alleged that the violence was held under a pre-planned conspiracy and demanded the arrest of the minister and his son.

An “antim ardas” (final prayer) for the dead farmers will held on Tuesday at Lakhimpur Kheri’s Tikonia village.

The SKM has also given a call for a “rail roko” protest across the country from 10 am to 4 pm on October 18 and a “mahapanchayat” in Lucknow on October 26.

Ajay Mishra should be “dismissed” from the cabinet and arrested on charges of spreading disharmony, murder and conspiracy, opposition Congress, SP and the SKM are demanding.

What lead to Ashish Mishra’s arrest

His arrest finally came a day after the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction over the state government’s action in the case. The police reportedly questioned him for 11 hours to try and cornered him on the following four points:

• His claim that he was at the Banbirpur village wrestling event at the time of the incident
• Another contrasting claim by some of his supporters that he was at a sugar mill in the vicinity
• Why was his vehicle at the crime scene when police had diverted the movement of BJP leaders to another route
• Whether he or anyone in his team/security detail own a point .315 bore gun since empty cartridges were recovered from his vehicle

Ashish was arrested after his replies on the above four counts failed to hold up to basic scrutiny or provide him a watertight alibi in the case.

DIG Upendra Agarwal, who is heading the special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh Police probing the case, told reporters that Ashish Mishra was not cooperating during the interrogation.

“We are taking him in custody on grounds of non-cooperation and evasive replies. He will be produced in court and sustained custodial interrogation will follow,” he said.

While addressing the public in Balrampur, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi questioned: “Prime Minister, why he is not removing Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni from the Cabinet.”

“Why does PM Narendra Modi not remove Ajay Mishra from the cabinet? If the father is a minister, the vehicle belonged to him, it caused the death of five farmers, he warns people and two days later five farmers are killed, why does PM Narendra Modi not sack him?” asked Owaisi.

He further alleged that the minister belongs to an upper caste and sacking him would not garner votes in the upcoming Assembly elections.