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Lakhimpur case: Photos, videos, other evidence formed basis of SIT chargesheet
A senior official said the SIT included 24 photographs, CCTV footages and videos shoot of the incident by independent witnesses in the chargesheet to establish the sequence of events on the day of incident
Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri’s Tikunia used as many as 24 photographs and videos, 17 scientific, 171 documentary evidence as well as electronic evidence and statements of 208 witnesses to chargesheet junior home minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra and 13 others, said senior police and prosecution officials privy to the probe.
The special investigators filed the 5,000-page chargesheet before the court of Lakhimpur Kheri chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on Monday (January 3) naming Ashish Mishra as the main accused and citing witnesses’ statements to confirm his presence at the spot during the incident.
Sharing further details, a senior official said the SIT included 24 photographs, CCTV footages and videos shoot of the incident by independent witnesses in the chargesheet to establish the sequence of events on the day of incident when four farmers and a journalist were allegedly mowed down by car of the minister’s son Ashish Mishra and others during a farm protest. A total of eight people were killed during the October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The official said 17 scientific evidence, including ballistic reports of three firearms as well as forensic reports of missed bullet shells and the charred vehicles recovered from the incident site, were also included in the chargesheet. He said the call detail reports as well as mobile locations of the main accused were also included as supportive evidence in the chargesheet.
“In addition, the SIT had included the statements of 208 eyewitnesses and witnesses to prove presence of Ashish Mishra and others at the spot. Of which, the statements of over 90 witnesses have been recorded before judicial magistrate so that they could not retract from their version later,” he added.
Senior prosecution officer SP Yadav said the initial complaint into the case only named Ashish Mishra and unknown persons. After subsequent investigation, the SIT chargesheeted 13 accused under sections 147(rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307(attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 427(mischief causing damage), 34 (acts done with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and section 177 (wilfully disobeying directions) and B177 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Those in jail in connection with the incident include Ashish Mishra, Ankit Das, who is a relative of a Lucknow-based businessman, his aide Nandan Singh Bisht, his private security guard Latif alias Kaale and driver Shekhar Bharti, who were said to be present in one of the three SUVs in Mishra’s cavalcade.
Ashish Mishra’s relative Virendra Shukla’s name was added to the chargesheet under section 201 of the IPC (disappearance of evidence) and he was called to the court on January 10. Four farmers and a journalist died when an SUV owned by union minister of state Ajay Kumar Mishra ran over farmers from behind in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. In the ensuing violence, three more people, including two BJP workers and Mishra’s driver, were killed.
Meanwhile, the SIT continued its search for two unidentified occupants in one of SUVs that was part of Ashish Mishra’s cavalcade on the day of the incident, police officials said.
The SIT also has the two CCTV footage of the said cavalcade recorded after they left for Tikunia from the “dangal” spot. In first footage recorded just after leaving the spot, the three SUVs are seen moving towards Tikunia. In another footage recorded a kilometre ahead, close to a dozen men are seen hanging on the sides of the SUVs. The CCTV footage suggested that additional men were asked to accompany them by the accused to Tikunia, claimed sources.
