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Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Over 60 witnesses get security
At least 17 more witnesses in the Lakhimpur Kheri case likely to get security after threat perception is analysed
The Lakhimpur police have given security to over 60 key witnesses of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that claimed eight lives on October 3, senior police officials said on Saturday. A few more witnesses will be provided security after analysing their threat perception, the officials said.
The security was provided to the witnesses after the Supreme Court on October 26 ordered protection for them and directed the UP police to expedite recording of the eyewitness’ statements before a judicial magistrate.
Lakhimpur Kheri additional superintendent of police (ASP) Arun Kumar Singh, who is a member of the nine- member Special Investigation Team probing the violence, said one armed police personnel each has been deployed for the security of the 60 witnesses.
Sharing further details, another police officer requesting anonymity said at least 17 more witnesses were likely to get security. He said the police officials have decided to give a gunner to all such witnesses whose statement has been recorded before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
He said the judicial statement of 77 witnesses has been recorded till Saturday.
The statements of only those witnesses, who have revealed any crucial facts about the incident, were recorded before the judicial magistrate, he said.
Besides, the statements of over 30 more witnesses have been recorded by police under Section 161 of CrPC, the officer said.
Over 50 people, who were present at the site of the incident on October 3, turned up to record their statements at the crime branch office at Lakhimpur Kheri reserve police lines on Saturday. The SIT had released contact numbers of its members, urging eyewitnesses to come forward and contact them to record their statements and provide digital evidence, said senior police officials on October 26.
On October 3, violence erupted after a car mowed down four farmers near Banbirpur village under Tikunia police station limits of Lakhimpur Kheri. Four other people, including two BJP workers, Shubham Mishra and Shyam Sunder, journalist Raman Kashyap and a driver, Hari Om Mishra, were also killed.
Two separate FIRs—the first in connection with the mowing down of four farmers and the second regarding the killing of the four others—were registered at the Tikunia police station. The SIT is probing both the FIRs and has arrested 13 accused, including the minister’s son Ashish Mishra, in the first case and two accused in the second case.
