VARANASI: Three weeks after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh to probe the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the first arrests were made on Tuesday in the case pertaining to the killing of three ruling BJP workers.
The SIT arrested two men identified as Gurvinder Singh and Vichitra Singh - both residents of Lakhimpur Kheri district and among the protestors on October 3 - were arrested on Tuesday by the investigating officer in the cases pertaining to the October 3 violence and produced before local court, which sent the duo into judicial custody at the Lakhimpur District Jail.
The arrests were made in connection with a case lodged under IPC Sections 147, 323, 324, 336 and 302 on the complaint of BJP worker Sumit Jaiswal. Jaiswal is among the 13 persons (including union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra) arrested so far in the case pertaining to the killing of the four protesting farmers in Tikunia town of Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3.
On October 5, the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a six member SIT to probe the October 3 violence. Just six days back, the SIT had reportedly released pictures of six people standing near an SUV, which was set ablaze during the October 3 violence. The special probe team had also assured that details of those giving information about the suspects will not be revealed and informers will also be given due rewards.
The two arrests on Tuesday have been made on the basis of photos/videos of the violence and subsequent information about the identities of those seen in the visuals, informed sources confided.
Two FIRs were registered at the Tikunia police station after eight people, including four farmers, a local journalist Raman Kashyap and three BJP workers Shubham Mishra, Shyam and Hari Om Mishra (who was the driver of one of the vehicles) were killed on October 3.
In the first FIR registered on the complaint of a local farmer Jagjeet Singh, union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was named among the accused. So far 13 men, including Ashish Mishra have been arrested for mowing down four farmers to death.
In the cross FIR registered by BJP worker Sumit Jaiswal (who is among those arrested in the first case) it was alleged that some anti-social elements present among the protesting farmers had set the SUV ablaze and lynched three BJP workers, including the driver of one of the vehicles.