The Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Thursday, 14 October, attempted to recreate the crime scene which left eight people, including four farmers dead earlier this month.
The four accused – a Union Minister's son Ashish Misra, his friend Ankit Das, gunman Latif and driver Shekhar Bharti – were also present during the UP Police's recreation of events, IANS reported.
Videos of the scene on Thursday captured a speeding police jeep mowing dummies placed on the narrow road where the crime took place, mirroring the visual that had emerged after the incident on 3 October.
The entire stretch was cordoned off and heavy police force was deployed to keep media and onlookers away from the spot.
However, this move provoked questions about the handling of the horrific event. Even several hours after the actual incident, the area was neither cordoned off, nor any evidence was collected.
The state police administration had slipped into action only after it was pulled up by the apex court.
What Had Happened?
At least eight people were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri after being run over by a convoy of SUV's belonging to the Union Minister of State Ajay Misra.
Consequently, a video of the incident showed that an SUV, travelling at high speed, rammed into a group of farmers walking down a road slowly and peacefully. The visual captured the speeding vehicle trampling the farmers.
Six people including the main accused Ashish Misra, son of MoS Home Ajay Misra, have been arrested in the case.
Misra was arrested by the SIT nearly a week after the brutal incident.
SIT secured police remand for Ashish and Shekhar Bharti, the person who is claimed to be at the wheels of the SUV which was just behind the Thar jeep.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi, met President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday in connection with the incident, and demanded the immediate dismissal of Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra.
(With inputs from IANS.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)