A vehicle set ablaze after violence broke out after farmers agitating were allegedly run over by a vehicle in the convoy of a union minister, in Lakhimpur Kheri. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastva) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police has arrested two farmers in connection with the October 3 incident in which three persons, including two BJP workers, were lynched by a mob after a convoy of SUVs ran over a group of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, killing five persons.
With the arrest of these two men — Kamaljeet Singh (29) and Kavaljeet Singh alias Sonu (35) — on Saturday, six persons have now been arrested for the lynchings.
The SIT has also arrested 13 people, including Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, for the deaths of four farmers and a journalist who were allegedly mowed down by a convoy of SUVs, one of which was owned by the minister.
Police sources said Kamaljeet and Kavaljeet, both residents of Lakhimpur Kheri, were identified after the SIT circulated pictures of the incident and asked the public to identify the people in it.
Sources said the SIT had collected the pictures from several people. Last month, it had released six pictures to the public seeking help to identify the people in them.
On October 3, a convoy of three SUVs allegedly ran over a group of farmers assembled at the Tikonia crossing to protest against the minister’s remark on farmers opposing the farm laws. Besides the five people who were killed, several others were injured.
In the violence that followed, two local BJP workers — Shubham Mishra (26) and Shyam Sunder (40) — and Hari Om Mishra (35), the driver of the minister’s SUV, were killed.
Two FIRs were filed in connection with the incidents.
In the first FIR, connected with the deaths of the four farmers and a journalist, the SIT arrested 13 people, including the minister’s son, Ashish Mishra. The SIT is expected to submit the chargesheet soon.
The SIT had earlier invoked additional charges — attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt — against Ashish and 12 others accused.
In its report to the court, the SIT said the killing of the four farmers and the journalist had been a “planned conspiracy”, they “did not happen due to negligence or callousness”, and the actions of the accused were “deliberate with an intention to kill”.
The second FIR linked to the lynching was registered on a complaint filed by local BJP corporator Sumit Jaiswal, and listd several charges including murder, voluntarily causing hurt, and act endangering life or personal safety of others.
Four persons — Avtar, Ranjeet, Vichitra Singh and Gurvinder Singh — were arrested subsequently.
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