In a latest development in the Lakhimpuri Kheri violence case, another witness in the case in which the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni is accused of running over farmers, has alleged that he was attacked and threatened not to testify.
According to NDTV report, Hardeep Singh said he was attacked by a group of people on Sunday in the Rampur district over his role as a witness in the case involving Ashish Mishra.
Hardeep said, ""I was returning after praying at the gurdwara. A car came from the back with three-four people. Another car had three-four more. The stopped me. One of them started to beat me. Another hit me from behind. I was hit with a kadha and the butt of a pistol. They said, 'If you go to testify, we will shoot you'."
The police has said, "Based on a complaint by Hardeep Singh, son of Hari Singh, an investigation by officers and eyewitness testimony, the incident prima facie appears to be one of road rage. So far, we have not found any link to the Lakhimpur violence. Action is being taken against the three accused named in the case and others."
Notably, Hardeep Singh is the second witness in the Lakhimpur Kheri case to allege an attack on him. Earlier, a witness was attacked in March and attackers had issued threats citing the BJP's victory in the recent UP election.
For the unversed, eight people died in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. After four farmers and a journalist were crushed by the convoy of the Union Minister's son, three more, including BJP workers, were killed in violence that broke out later.
Meanwhile, the SIT, probing the violence that had left eight people, including four farmers dead, wrote twice to the Uttar Pradesh government urging it to file an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of bail to Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, in the case.
The top court, on November 17, last year, had appointed Justice Jain to monitor the probe by Uttar Pradesh SIT which had also got three IPS officers who were not natives of the state.
