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UP Police make two arrests in FIR into killings of BJP workers, driver
Gurwinder Singh, 32, and Vichitra Singh, 24, were arrested from Gola and Bheera towns, respectively, said Prashant Kumar, additional director general, law and order, in a statement.
Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested two people in connection with the deaths of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and their driver in violence at Lakhimpur Kheri three weeks ago. These are the first arrests made by the police in connection with a second FIR lodged in the case.
Gurwinder Singh, 32, and Vichitra Singh, 24, were arrested from Gola and Bheera towns, respectively, said Prashant Kumar, additional director general, law and order, in a statement. The two were sent to jail after being produced before a local court, a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.
On October 3, eight people -- four of whom were farmers -- died in violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri. Farm groups say a Mahindra Thar owned by Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra mowed down protesters from behind while they were returning from a demonstration in Tikunia village on October 3. A video clip that is yet to be authenticated forensically shows the same.
The minister and his son, however, deny the charge that the latter was in the vehicle and say farmers pelted the car with stones that led to the driver losing control of the vehicle. They accuse the protesters of lynching two BJP workers and the car’s driver. A local journalist, Raman Kashyap, was also killed.
A day after the incident, the first FIR in the case was filed by Jagjit Singh which named Ashish Mishra and 15-20 unknown people. At least 13 people have been arrested in connection with this FIR.
On October 4, BJP worker Jaiswal filed a second FIR and alleged that “antisocial elements” among farmers attacked and lynched two BJP workers and the driver. This FIR makes no mention of the death of the farmers and only names unidentified people.
“The bad elements in the farmers’ protest had attacked the vehicle with bamboo sticks, bricks and stones due to which driver Hari Om got injured and stopped the car on the road side,” read Jaiswal’s FIR.
Jaiswal is one of the 13 people arrested in the first FIR.
Tuesday’s arrests were made after ascertaining the involvement of the two people, the second official said.
Statements of 30 witnesses have been recorded, and the process to record the statements of 13 other witnesses is underway, the second official said.
The state police will analyse the security risk of the witnesses and provide protection, he added.
