Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Upgrade task force, include higher officers, Supreme Court tells UP Govt

Highlights

Supreme Court raised the issue of low-rank police officers being engaged in the SIT probe
The court sought names of the IPS officers who are of the UP cadre but not natives of the state
The Supreme Court had on November 8 expressed dissatisfaction over the probe

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday agreed to the Supreme Court suggestion that a former judge of its choice may be appointed to supervise the state SIT's probe on day-to-day basis into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people including four farmers were killed on October 3.

A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana also raised the issue of low-rank police officers being engaged in the SIT probe and sought names of the IPS officers who are of the UP cadre but not natives of the state, for being included in investigation team.

The bench, also comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, said that it will have to take the consent of the judge concerned and will consider names of even former apex court and high court judges for monitoring the probe in the sensational case and pronounce the same on Wednesday.

While consenting, senior advocate Harish Salve said that the state has no issues with the apex court appointing a former judge of its choice to monitor the probe, but the point that he should not be a native of Uttar Pradesh should not bear in the mind as the person concerned is a relevant factor.

The apex court, on November 8, had expressed dissatisfaction over the probe and suggested that to infuse "independence, impartiality and fairnessö in the ongoing investigation, a former judge of a ôdifferent high courtö should monitor it on day-to-day basis.

The bench had also said that it has no confidence and does not want the one-member judicial commission appointed by the state to continue probe into the case. Retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava was named by the state government to enquire into the eruption of violence on Tikonia-Banbirpur road in Lakhimpur Kheri district.