Lakhimpur Violence: Union Minister’s Son Arrested by SIT, Will Be Produced Before Court | Top Developments

Giving further details, DIG Upendra Agarwal said the accused didn't answer few questions and he will be produced before the court.

Lakhimpur Violence Latest News: In a significant development, Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was on Saturday night arrested as he was not cooperating with the police during interrogation. Giving further details, SIT chief Upendra Agarwal said the accused didn’t answer few questions and he will be produced before the court. Notably, he was arrested after over 11 hours of questioning in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence which left eight people, including four farmers, dead.

Earlier in the day, Ashish Mishra appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) in the crime branch office of the police line where he was questioned regarding the FIR registered against him and others under murder charges in Sunday killings.

After quizzing him for more than 11 hours, the nine-member SIT headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Agarwal, arrested Mishra.

Ashish Mishra, son of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, has been arrested as he was not cooperating during the interrogation and didn't answer few questions. He will be produced before the court: DIG Upendra Agarwal, Saharanpur pic.twitter.com/nLG3HcmNME

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 9, 2021

The development came a day after the Supreme Court had expressed its dissatisfaction over the action taken against the accused in the Lakhimpur incident that had drawn massive outrage.

It must be noted that the Opposition leaders and farmers continued to step up pressure on the ruling BJP, demanding the sacking of Ajay Mishra from the Union Council of Ministers and the arrest of the minister and his son.

Ashish Mishra was named in an FIR following allegations that he was in one of the vehicles that mowed down four farmers protesting over UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit last Sunday.

Two BJP workers and their driver were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. Local journalist Raman Kashyap also died in the incident, which has triggered a political storm and put the BJP government on the back foot in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

However, Ashish Mishra and his father had denied the allegation, saying they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

The Supreme Court had Friday on questioned the non-arrest of the accused, directed preservation of evidence and mulled transferring the probe to another agency. Without mincing words, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had said, the law must take its course against all accused and the government has to take all remedial steps in this regard to inspire confidence in the investigation of brutal murder of eight persons .

On Saturday, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu ended his “silent protest”, which he started at 6.15 PM on Friday outside the home of Kashyap in Nighasan tehsil, after the minister’s son turned up for questioning.

On the other hand, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws, alleged that the violence was held under a pre-planned conspiracy. The farmer unions said if the government does not accept their demands by October 11, they will take out a ‘Shaheed Kisan Yatra’ from Lakhimpur Kheri with the ashes of slain farmers.

The SKM also gave a call for a rail roko protest across the country from 10 AM to 4 PM on October 18 and a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on October 26.

(With inputs from agencies)