Lucknow: Congress General Secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will reach Lakhimpur Kheri today to participate in the “antim ardas (final rites)” prayers of the protesting farmers who were mowed down in the Uttar Pradesh district earlier this month.
Heavy barracading and police checks were seen on the Lucknow-Sitapur-Lakhimpur highway.
“Rahul Gandhi Go Back, Priyanka Gandhi Go Back” banners were also sighted along the highway. While some of the banners mentioned who had put them up, others appeared to have vague details about this aspect. All banners took digs at the Congress, saying ‘people’ don’t want “fake sympathy”.
Preparations for the final prayers are underway at a field, away from the spot where the violence took place in Tikonia village of Lakhimpur Kehri in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
The session court on Monday has sent Ashish Mishra to three-day police custody. He has been arrested amid Lakhimpur Violence incidence of October 3. The UP SIT had demanded 14-day custody of Ashish Mishra.
“He has been sent to police remand with conditions,” prosecution advocate SP Yadav said.
He was arrested on Saturday night after nearly 11 hours of interrogation by SIT in connection with Lakhimpur violence which let to death of eight. Police said that he was not cooperating with them during the interrogation.
“After a long interrogation, we found that he (Ashish Mishra) is not cooperating, and does not want to tell many things in the investigation. That’s why we are arresting him. He will be produced before the court now,” DIG Upendra Agrawal, chairman of the supervision committee in the Lakhimpur Kheri case said in Saharanpur.
According to reports, Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody after being arrested
Earlier today, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders observed ‘maun vrat’ (silent protest) at Gandhi statue in GPO, Lucknow, demanding the dismissal of Ajay Mishra.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said that the law of land will take its own course and will not be influenced by any kind of pressure.
Fir was filed against Ashish Mishra 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. Farmers leaders amd opposition was demanding the arrest of Ashish.
The big development has come a day after the Supreme Court of India expressed its dissatisfaction with the police action taken against the accused in the incident which has drawn massive outrage.
Ashish Mishra arrived at Lakhimpur Crime Branch for his summon on Saturday at 11 AM. On Friday when he didn’t showed up for his summon so police issued second notice against him to appear before 11 AM in connection with October 3 incidence.
There is a tight security at the location and the internet is freezed. Facing reporters at Lucknow airport, the junior home minister said his son Ashish Mishra could not appear before police as he was not well but will record his statement on Saturday.
His remarks came after a police team headed by Deputy Inspector General (Headquarters) Upendra Agarwal waited hours at the Lakhimpur police lines for Ashish Mishra, who had been asked to appear there at 10 am. Around 2pm media learnt that Ashish Mishra has not turned up and second notice has been issued with Saturday’s deadline.
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