Lakhimpur Violence: Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Arrested

Lakhimpur Kheri, UP: Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish, accused of running over farmers in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Saturday after being questioned for over 12 hours in Lakhimpur Kheri. The police said he had been giving “evasive answers” and not cooperating.

He said an application for police remand of Ashish Mishra was submitted to the judicial magistrate who fixed it for hearing at 11 am on Monday.

Ashish Mishra was named in an FIR 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.

Farmer leaders and opposition parties had been demanding Mishra’s arrest but the minister and his son had denied the allegations.

Two BJP workers and their driver were allegedly lynched by angry farmers in the incident. Local journalist Raman Kashyap also died in the violence, which has triggered a political storm and put the BJP government on the back foot in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Lakhimpur Kheri Violence Live Updates: Rahul Gandhi-led delegation seeks President’s appointment ‘to present facts’

The Congress party on Monday sought an appointment with President Ram Nath Kovind for a 7-member party delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to present a detailed memorandum on the facts of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be addressing the “Kisan Nyay” (justice for farmers) rally in Varanasi shortly. The name of the rally was changed from “Pratigya” rally after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Facing murder charges over the Lakhimpur incident, Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, was arrested late Saturday night, after questioning that lasted the entire day. Having skipped the first summons issued to him, Ashish, 40, appeared before the SIT investigating the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, that had left eight dead, at 10.30 am on Saturday — just in time for the second notice.

Around 11 pm at night, DIG Upendra Kumar Agrawal, heading the SIT, told reporters: “We found that he was not cooperating. He was not telling certain things. On ground of non-cooperation and evasive replies, we are taking Ashish into custody. He will be produced in court tomorrow. We will do sustained custodial interrogation.”

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