UP govt appoints retd HC judge to investigate Lakhimpur Kheri incident; Oppn demands judicial probe

The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a one-member Commission to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which eight people were killed, a senior Home Department official said on Thursday. “A notification for the constitution of the Commission has been issued. The commission has been given two months time to probe the matter,” the official said. “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Commissions of Enquiry Act, 1952 (Act no. 60 of 1952), the Governor is pleased to appoint Justice High Court, Allahabad (retd) Pradeep Kumar Srivastava as a single-member Commission of enquiry with Headquarters at Lakhimpur Kheri,” the notification dated 6 October said. “The Commission shall complete the enquiry within a period of two months from the date of the issue of this notification. Any change in its tenure shall be at the behest of the Government,” it added. However, Opposition leaders including Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have said that a sitting judge should investigate the matter. Priyanka Gandhi, who had on Wednesday met the families of three of the eight people killed in the violence, told reporters here, “In my view and that of the victims’ families as well, the case should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge, and not the retired judge.” Before leaving for Bahraich, Priyanka Gandhi said, “I don’t want to comment on the probe as it has not started yet. But I can say that for unbiased probe, the minister should resign as he has the Home portfolio and all this comes under him.” Eight people were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Sunday. Of the eight killed, four were farmers, who were allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area. The other four were two BJP workers, a driver of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and a journalist working for a private television channel. Follow LIVE updates here