LUCKNOW: Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, was denied bail by a court here on Wednesday in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Meanwhile, two more persons were on Wednesday arrested in connection with the violence.
Meanwhile, two more persons -- Ankit Das, one of the close associates of Ashish Mishra, and Ankit’s bodyguard Latif alias Kale were arrested in connection with October 3 violence after they surrendered before DIG Upendra Agarwal, heading the SIT, at crime branch office in Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday.
Ashish Mishra’s friend Ankit Das, accompanied by his lawyer Razi Ahmad, had reached the crime branch office on Wednesday morning. Besides, the Lakhimpur Kheri police also arrested Ankit Das’s bodyguard Latif alias Kale.
On Tuesday, Ankit Das’s driver Shekhar Bharti was held by the police. Shekhar Bharti was driving the black Fortuner behind the Thar Mahindra which ploughed into the crowd of protesting farmers on October 3.
Shekhar Bharti, arrested on Tuesday, was also sent to three-day police remand.
Thus, the number of accused arrested so far in connection with Lakhimpur violence case goes to six. The other accused nabbed in the case so far include Ashish Mishra, Luvkush and Ashish Pandey.
However, Ashish Mishra and his alleged accomplice Ashish Pandey moved bail applications on Wednesday but they were rejected by Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram.
Later in the day, Ankit Das, who appeared before the SIT at crime branch office in response to the summon notice pasted at his residence on Tuesday, was interrogated by the SIT before being produced in the CJM court along with his bodyguard Kale.
Ankit Das’s advocate, had on Tuesday, filed a surrender application in the Chief Judicial Magistrate court. Ankit Das is a relative of former Congress MP, the late Akhilesh Das.
According to prosecution advocate SP Yadav, the court sent both Das and Kale to judicial custody till October 22 and gave each on three-day remand to SIT for custodial interrogation.
The black Fortuner SUV which was behind the Thar Mahindra that knocked down the four farmers is said to be owned by Ankit Das.
Meanwhile, UP law minister Brijesh Pathak went to Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday to meet the bereaved families of BJP workers who were lynched by the protesting farmers after four of them were crushed by the SUV of Ashish Mishra on October 3.
The minister met the families of Shubham Mishra and driver Hari Om Tiwari, who allegedly was driving the killer Thar Mahindra. He assured both the bereaved families all help.