Lakhimpur Violence Case: SIT Files Chargesheet, Union Minister's Son Ashish Misra Named 'Prime Accused'

SIT has filed a 5000-page chargesheet in the case naming Union Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Misra Teni's son Ashish Mishra as a prime accused.

New Delhi: Three months after violence in Lakhimpur Kheri led to the death of 8 people including four farmers, the Special Investigation team has filed a chargesheet in the case. 

According to ABP News sources, SIT has filed a 5000-page chargesheet in the case naming Union Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Misra Teni's son Ashish Misra as a prime accused. The investigation team has named 16 accused in the case. 

The prosecution lawyer also said, "Name of one more person, Virendra Shukla, has been added in the chargesheet. He has been charged under Section 201 of IPC." Sources told ABP News that Virendra Shukla is a close acquaintance of Ashish Misra.

In December, the SIT had filed an application before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) to include new sections against 13 accused including Ashish Misra to make their offence punishable under attempt to murder charges.
Vidhyaram Diwakar, the SIT investigating officer, filed the application in the CJM's court for adding new sections in the warrant, replacing sections 279, 338, and 304A of the IPC.
In his application, the investigating officer pointed out that the incident was well-planned and a deliberate act, and not of negligence or callousness, according to a PTI report.
The investigating officer had requested to add Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code after replacing sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 338 (Whoever causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently) and 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC.

The incident happened on October 3, 2021 in Tikunia village of Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh.

Four farmers and a journalist were killed after they were allegedly mowed down by a vehicle. Three BJP workers were also killed in retaliation by an angry mob.

In November, the Supreme Court had reconstituted the SIT and added new members, IPS officers S.B. Shiradkar, Preetinder Singh, and Padmaja Chauhan, along with retired judge of Punjab and Haryana high court Rakesh Kumar Jain, to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.