BJP worker among four arrested over Lakhimpur Kheri violence
Among the four arrested was a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, Sumit Jaiswal, who was present in the vehicle that allegedly mowed down four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested four more people in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, taking the total number of arrests to 10, officials said.
Among the four arrested was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, Sumit Jaiswal, who was present in the vehicle that allegedly mowed down four farmers during a protest against the agricultural laws on October 3.
The other three arrested people -- Shishupal of Lakhimpur Kheri, Nandan Singh of Lucknow and Satya Prakash Tripathi of Kaushambi -- were present in the remaining vehicles which were part of the convoy.
“Four persons were arrested on Monday by the Crime Branch of the Lakhimpur Kheri police along with the SWAT team. The SIT investigators and other senior officials are interrogating the accused and further probe is underway,” the state police said in a statement.
The SWAT team also recovered a revolver and three live cartridges from Tripathi, the statement added.
“The accused will be questioned about the incident and their role in it. We will also apply for their police custody remand if they fail to cooperate in the interrogation,” a senior police official said, seeking anonymity.
In a video that went viral, Jaiswal was seen leaving the leading vehicle in the convoy after it rammed into the protesting farmers. He later told reporters that the vehicle was under attack as protesters pelted stones, due to which the driver lost balance and the vehicle turned turtle, leading to the accident.
The vehicle belonged to Union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni. Farmers maintained that the minister’s son Ashish Mishra was in the vehicle at the time of the incident. While the father and son have rejected the allegations, a murder case was registered against Ashish who was arrested on October 9.
On Monday, Ashish, along with others accused in the case were also sent into judicial custody from police custody.
Besides the farmers, two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death allegedly by angry protesters, while a local journalist was also killed in the violence that ensued that day.
Meanwhile, five farmers from Tikunia and nearby areas who participated in the protest on October 3 also appeared for questioning before the investigation team.