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The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday, 18 October, made four fresh arrests, including that of a BJP leader, in connection with the Lakhimpur violence of 3 October, that had led to the deaths of four farmers.
The four accused, namely Sumit Jaiswal, Shishupal, Nandan Singh Bisht, and Satya Prakash Tripathi, have been arrested by the Lakhimpur Kheri Police and the SWAT team of the crime branch, news agency ANI reported, citing the police. A licensed revolver and three bullets have been retrieved from Tripathi.
Of the four accused, local BJP leader Sumit Jaiswal is one of the two complainants in the Lakhimpur case.
Eight persons, including four farmers, were reported dead in Lakhimpur on 3 October. Unrest had ensued in the area after three protesting farmers had been mowed down by a convoy of cars, one of which was allegedly driven by Union Minister Ajay Teni Misra's son.
A purported video of the incident had shown Jaiswal fleeing from one of the SUVs in the convoy.
The minister's son, Ashish Misra, was arrested in connection to the case by the police on 9 October, after he was interrogated for nearly 12 hours.
Five others – Ankit Das, Luvkush Pandey, Ashish Pandey, Lateef, and Shekhar Bharti – some of whom are reportedly known to be Misra's associates, have also been sent to judicial custody along with him.
Those arrested on Monday have been identified as Ankit Das's friend Nandan Singh Bisht, Kaushambi resident Satya Prakash Tripathi alias Satyam, and Scorpio driver Shishupal.
Car Was Attacked With Sticks & Swords, Alleges Sumit Jaiswal
BJP leader Jaiswal, on 4 October, had lodged a complaint at Uttar Pradesh's Tikunia police station, alleging that the protesting farmers at Lakhimpur had attacked a vehicle that had been carrying him and others.
Jaiswal, in his complaint, has alleged that the convoy of cars had been attacked by sticks and swords, and that the protesting farmers had dragged his friend Shubham Mishra and the driver Hariom out of the car.
The BJP leader said that he had managed to flee from the car amid the violence, and had later learnt from social media that Hariom and Shubham Mishra had been killed in the attack.
Based on Jaiswal's complaint, a second FIR was registered in connection to the case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons), 336 (endangering others' lives), and 302 (murder).
The first FIR had been registered on the behalf of the deceased farmers.
(With inputs from ANI)
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