Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh): Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra has been brought to Reserve Police Lines as his three-day Police remand begins today in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Senior prosecution officer S P Yadav said that the remand will end on October 15 morning. Ashish will be taken for a medical examination, before and after the period of remand.
The police had sought a 14-day remand of Ashish Mishra, but the court allowed only a three-day remand and that too, with conditions which include that there will be no mental or physical harassment of the accused and that he will have access to his legal team. The court has also asked the SIT to maintain a distance while quizzing the accused during the remand.
Mishra was questioned for over 12 hours in Lakhimpur Kheri. The police said he had been giving "evasive answers" and not cooperating. Ashish Mishra's counsel had opposed the remand, citing that their client has already answered 40 questions from SIT during 11 hours of interrogation on Saturday and hence there is no need of taking him into remand. It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court while hearing this case on Friday had expressed dissatisfaction over the state government’s action in case.
The UP police have filed a case of murder against Ashish Mishra but have not arrested him so far. Though the Union Minister admits the SUV that ran over farmers belongs to him, he maintains his son was not in it.
Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha "warned" the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government that its deadline to sack and arrest Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra ends on October 11 (Monday), failing which it will start phase-wise protests against the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Ashish Mishra has been named in an FIR filed by the farmers who said he drove into a gathering of slogan-shouting demonstrators amid a peaceful black flag protest last Sunday.
Eight people, including four farmers, two BJP workers, a driver and a journalist with local news channel, were killed in the violence erupted in Lakhimpur district during farmers' protest last week.
