Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Ex-Punjab And Haryana HC Judge Appointed To Monitor SIT Probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the investigation in the Lakhimpur Kheri matter. It also reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by appointing three more senior police officers.

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in violence during a farmers’ protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. Thirteen people, including Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, have been arrested so far in connection with the case.

A Bench comprising comprising the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli said that the appointment of the retired High Court judge is done to “ensure fairness, transparency and absolute impartiality” in the outcome of the investigation.

The bench also said that it has included three IPS Officers in the Special Investigation Team constituted by the UP Police to investigate the case. “Mr SB Shirodkar, Mr Deepinder Singh and Padmaja Chauhan, these three police officers will be there in SIT and it stands reconstituted. The investigation will be continued by SIT under the monitoring of the learned judge. Matter will be listed after chargesheet is filed on basis of status report by Ld Judge”, the CJI said.

Earlier, the apex court had expressed dissatisfaction over what it said is the “mixing up” of investigation in the cases pertaining to the October 3 incident. “To ensure that evidence…are recorded independently and there is no overlapping and there is no intermixing of the evidences, we are trying to appoint a retired judge from a different High Court to monitor the investigation on day-to-day basis…We are not confident…We don’t want judicial commission appointed by your state to continue…” the CJI had said.

Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in the convoy at Lakhimpur Kheri when a group agitating against the Centre’s three new farm laws was holding a demonstration against the visit of Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on October 3.

Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death allegedly by the angry protesters, and a local journalist was killed in the violence.

The police have so far arrested 13 accused, including Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, in connection with the case.

On Monday, the Lakhimpur Kheri district and sessions court rejected the bail pleas of Ashish Mishra and two others.