As many as five people were arrested on Friday after Union Minister Ajay Mishra alleged a blackmail attempt with videos of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The minister had reported the extortion calls to the Delhi police on December 17, after which his house in Delhi was placed under surveillance. He also told the police that the men had tried to extort crores from him.
The five accused arrested were all BPO workers, said the police. They all hailed from Delhi and Noida.
Violence had erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 when farmers were protesting the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Mishra's native place. Four agitating farmers were run over by a vehicle while four others, including a journalist and two BJP workers, were also killed in the violence that ensued.
Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, has been named as accused.
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