SC Dissolves SIT Probing Lakhimpur Kheri Violence Which Killed Farmers

The Supreme Court has dissolved the SIT probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case in UP which killed four farmers.

The Supreme Court has dissolved the SIT probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case in UP which killed four farmers. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Supreme Court has dissolved the Special Investigation Team probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence matter and observed that the investigation was complete and trial was underway. The top court has relieved retired High Court judge Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain from the task of monitoring the SIT probing into the matter.

Issuing the order on Monday, a bench of justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta also said that if there arises any necessity to reconstitute the SIT, an appropriate order shall be passed, PTI reported.

The top court had appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to supervise on a day-to-day basis the Uttar Pradesh Police SIT's probe into the case.

Three senior IPS officers, S B Shirodkar, Deepinder Singh and Padmaja Chauhan, were part of the SIT.

The top court on July 11 had extended till September 26 the interim bail of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, who is facing prosecution in the case.

In October 2021, protesting farmers were allegedly mowed down by Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Asish Mishra.

Eight people were killed in the violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against the then Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was seated, according to the Uttar Pradesh Police FIR.

Following the incident, the driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.

A total of 13 accused, including Ashish Mishra, have been charged under IPC sections 147 and 148 related to rioting, 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (mischief) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), and section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act, PTI reported.

The other 12 accused are Ankit Das, Nandan Singh Bisht, Latif Kale, Satyam alias Satya Prakash Tripathi, Shekhar Bharti, Sumit Jaiswal, Ashish Pandey, Lavkush Rana, Shishu Pal, Ullas Kumar alias Mohit Trivedi, Rinku Rana and Dharmendra Banjara, the report added.