Lakhimpur Kheri Violence Result Of Premeditated Plan; Act Done With An Intention To Kill: Police SIT Tells UP Court

The Special Investigation Team of the Uttar Pradesh police that is probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident has said before the Lakhimpur local Court that there was a planned conspiracy to kill the people present during the incident.

Further, the SIT has prayed before the Court to modify the charges against the accused, including the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Misra 'Teni', Ashish Misra.

"It appears from the probe that has been conducted and material collected till now that the said act wasn't a negligent act committed by the accused, rather, it was done intentionally as per premeditated plan to kill...", the application filed by the SIT avers.

Further, the police have prayed before the Court that Sections 304A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (negligent driving), and 338 (causing grievous hurt) against all accused be removed and instead, Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing hurt with dangerous weapon), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 3/25 Arms Act be registered against them.

It may be noted that on October 3, several farmers were holding protests against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Lakhimpur Kheri district, when four protesting farmers were killed after they were mowed down by an SUV.

Allegedly, the SUV was the part of the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra

Thereafter, the police had filed a first information report against Ashish Mishra (son of minister Ajay Kumar Mishra) and several others in connection with the violence under Section 302 IPC.

An alleged video of the incident had also surfaced in social media showing a group of protesters moving forward on a road next to farm fields and then being mowed down by a grey SUV that speeds up from behind.

The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier announced that a retired High Court judge will probe the Lakhimpur Kheri violence and also, 45 lakh compensation would be given to the families of the four farmers killed in the incident.

However, the Supreme Court last month appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the investigation in the Lakhmipur Kheri violence.

A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, was hearing a PIL registered on the basis of a letter petition sent by two lawyers seeking impartial probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3.