Lakhimpur violence case: New SIT members visit Tikunia

Three members of the newly re-constituted SIT visited the site in Lakhimpur Kheri’s Tikunia where the violence took place on October 3

Three members of the newly re-constituted special investigation team (SIT) assigned to probe the October 3 Tikunia violence case in which eight people, including 4 farmers were killed, arrived here on Thursday.

The October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri had left eight persons dead, including four farmers, a local journalist, two BJP workers and a driver. (HT File)

The officials include SB Shiradkar, ADG, intelligence; Padmaja Chauhan, IG and DIG Dr Preetinder Singh.

Retired judge of Punjab and Haryana high court Justice (retd) Rakesh Kumar Jain, who has been appointed by the Supreme Court to monitor the probe, also arrived on Thursday.

Officials familiar with the matter said the team along with Kheri SP Sanjiv Suman and ASP Arun Kumar Singh visited the site where the violence took place.

Later, the team reached MoS home Ajay Kumar Mishra’s native village Banbirpur, a few km away from the crime spot and visited the place, where ‘dangal’ (wrestling) programme was being organised on the day. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was to attend the event.

Officials said, the investigating team returned via Belranyan-- the route that had been opted for Maurya’s visit to Banbirpur and his subsequent return after the farmers staged demonstration on Tikunia-Banbirpur route.

The violence had left eight persons dead, including four farmers, a local journalist, two BJP workers and a driver. MoS home Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra has been arrested in the case.