New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, ex-judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the probe in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The apex court also included 3 IPS officers including 1 women officer of Uttar Pradesh, but are not natives of the state, in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The top court will hear the sensational Lakhimpur violence case again after the SIT concludes the probe and files a status report to this effect.
Notably, the Supreme Court had also expressed unhappiness over the officers appointed by the Uttar Pradesh administration for the SIT formed to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident. During the last hearing on November 15th, the SC said the police officers must be high-ranking officials. It had sought names of IPS officers, who are of UP cadre but not the native of the state, for being included in the investigation team. The UP government had appointed local Lakhimpur Kheri, sub-inspector level and DSP level officers on the task force.
The UttarPradesh Police has so far arrested 13 accused, including Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, in connection with the sensational case. On October 3rd, 8 persons including 4 farmers were killed during a farmers’ protest in Lakhimpur. The 4 farmers were allegedly mowed down by the vehicles in the convoy of Ashish Misra, the son of Union Minister and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Misra.