Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Here are the SIT's tough questions to Ashish Mishra
Ashish Mishra, son of junior minister Ajay Mishra and one of the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) amid tight security on Saturday. The SIT team has been interrogating Ashish Mishra at the crime branch office located at Lakhimpur-Kheri police line for the last 4 hours.
Following the arrest of two men on Thursday in the case, police had pasted a notice outside MoS Ajay Mishra's house asking his son Ashish to appear before the SIT and join the investigation in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that claimed eight lives.
Earlier, Ashish Mishra was supposed to appear before the police on Friday, but he did not turn up and sought more time from the police. The Uttar Pradesh Police then issued a second summon asking him to appear before it by 11 am on Satur.
While Ashish Mishra is facing questioning by the SIT team headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal, his father Ajay Mishra is huddled with lawyers at his local party office in Lakhimpur.
The police team has prepared over two dozen questions for Ashish Mishra to answer in connection with the case.
The questions include — after the case was registered, where was Ashish Mishra? who did he meet? Why was the phone off? Did he meet any eyewitnesses related to the case?
According to reports, the minister has handed over the videos he brought with him in a pen drive to the SIT. The phone is also with the police. Notably, Ashish has been maintaining that, at the time of the incident, he was at another place.
The SIT team is also analyzing the videos and answers given by Ashish Mishra and if the team is not satisfied, then the leader may be arrested.
Four of the eight people who died in the violence last Sunday were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.
Farmers claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.
A nine-member team headed by DIG Agarwal has been formed to investigate the FIR lodged against the minister's son and others.
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