Lakhimpur Killings: Asked to Appear at 10 a.m. BJP Minister's Son Fails to Show up Before Police

Lakhimpur (UP): The Uttar Pradesh Police issued a fresh notice to Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra asking him to appear before it by 11 am on Saturday in connection with the violence that killed eight people, including four farmers, after he missed his 10 am deadline on Friday.

The latest notice, pasted on the wall of Ajay Mishra's house Friday afternoon, warned that legal action will be initiated against him if he fails to appear before the investigators on Saturday.

Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal who is heading the team probing Sunday's incident waited for him at the police lines but he didn't show up, after which the fresh notice was issued.

In a statement issued here, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said, "...there is no trace of him (Ashish Mishra). News reports indicate that he is changing locations and is absconding, with several UP Police teams searching for him."

The morcha expressed its "serious concern and shock" as Mishra was not arrested.

As investigators waited for Mishra, reports emerged that he might have fled to Nepal.

Asked about it, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said, "If this is true, the Centre should intervene and get the accused arrested from Nepal."

After two men were arrested on Thursday, the police pasted a notice outside his house asking him to appear before it in connection with the violence that claimed eight lives.

Four of the eight people who died on Sunday were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

Farmers claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

A nine-member team headed by DIG Upendra Agarwal has been formed to investigate the FIR lodged against the minister's son and others.

The arrested men were identified as Luvkush of Banbirpur village and Ashish Pandey of Nighasan tehsil, two of the seven people mentioned in an FIR lodged by police.

In its statement, SKM alleged that Sumit Jaiswal, Ankit Das and some other persons were also involved in the violence, but they are not being arrested by the police.

 "There is only information on a notice issued to Ashish Mishra summoning him for questioning. The UP government and Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra are adopting protective tactics to ensure that Ashish Mishra roams free," it said.

It alleged that Sumit Jaiswal was in the Thar vehicle that mowed down the farmers and was clearly seen escaping from the vehicle.

Similarly, a video clip where a police official was seen questioning a person caught during the incident showed that Ankit Das was in the Fortuner vehicle that was also involved in the violence, the morcha said.

The morcha demanded immediate arrest of Ashish, Sumit and Ankit.

MoS Home Should Resign: Akhilesh Yadav

In Lucknow, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said sending summons to Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra's son for questioning in the Lakhimpur Kheri case is only a formality and insisted he should resign for an unbiased probe into the incident.

"Sending of summons to the minister's son (Ashish Mishra) is a formality. The government has woken up after the Supreme Court intervention. The minister should resign," Yadav said while talking to reporters outside his residence in Lucknow before leaving for Bahraich to meet families of two farmers, who were killed in the violence.

"Otherwise, the officer who will be questioning him will have to first salute him and then interrogate him. Before leaving, the officer will have to again salute him due to his post," the former UP chief minister added.

When asked about reports that the minister's son has fled to Nepal, Yadav said he did not have any information about this. "If this is true, the Centre should intervene and get the accused arrested from Nepal," he said.

The SP chief alleged that the BJP government hides crime committed by its leaders and welcomes them with "bouquets" in their party.

"Videos and other evidence coming in along with eyewitness accounts suggest that the minister's son was behind running over the farmers. This 'damdaar' (strong) government, as it claims in its advertisements, is only for the 'taakatwar' (strongmen)," he said attacking the Yogi Adityanath government.

He said if SP gets voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections, his government will help farmers with "crores of rupees."

The state government did not have Rs 2 crore to give to the deceased farmers' families, he added.

Yadav had on Thursday visited Lakhimpur Kheri and met family members of two farmers and a journalist, who had died in the violence.

Sack MoS Home: SAD

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday demanded Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra be sacked and the accused immediately arrested for ensuring justice to farmers' families in the Lakhimpur violence case.

"We demanded immediate dismissal of the minister and arrest of the accused for giving justice to the families of farmers, who died in Lakhimpur," SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur told reporters in Lucknow outside Chaudhury Charan Singh Airport.

A delegation of the party landed here to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet families of farmers, who had died in the violence on October 3. "We are going to share the grief and will help them in whatever way we can," she said.

On BJP's allegation that the Opposition was going to Lakhimpur for "photo opportunity", the former Union minister said, "I resigned from the Central cabinet for raising the voice of farmers. They can also call this a photo opportunity."

Kaur said measures should be taken to check such violence while demanding the arrest of the accused.