Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 19 (IANS) Four more persons, including a BJP leader who was seen inside the SUV that mowed down protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, have been arrested.
A statement released by Prashant Kumar, ADG (law and order) late on Monday night, said: "The accused Sumit Jaiswal, Shishupal, Nandan Singh Bisht and Satya Prakash Tripathi have been arrested by Lakhimpur Kheri Police and SWAT team of Crime branch. Licensed revolver and three bullets were recovered from Satya Prakash Tripathi and seized."
Local BJP leader Sumit Jaiswal, who was seen in a viral video escaping from the lead SUV in the convoy of vehicles that crushed the farmers, had earlier filed a murder FIR against unnamed farmers, claiming that his driver, friend and two BJP workers were beaten to death after their vehicles lost control due to heavy stone pelting and accidentally hit farmers
In the viral video, Jaiswal was seen running from the Thar SUV that drove into protesters from behind.
It may be recalled that four farmers and a journalist were run over on October 3 by a convoy of three vehicles, one of which belongs to Union Minister of state for home, Ajay Mishra Teni.
Mishra's son Ashish was arrested on October 9, five days after he was named in the FIR related to the incident on charges of murder.
The families of farmers who died in the incident, had alleged in their complaint to the police that Ashish was inside the lead SUV that crushed the farmers .
An FIR was lodged at the Tikunia police station on October 3 over the episode. Later, a counter-FIR was lodged at the same police station on the basis of a complaint by Sumit Jaiswal, who has now been arrested.
Sumit Jaiswal had also claimed that the protesters attacked Ashish Mishra's convoy, not the other way round. He also claimed the car was not moving, and it was the protesters that attacked the convoy.
"We were at the programme venue. There was an atmosphere of fear. They were armed with sticks and rocks and they kept attacking us, abusing us. They also shouted 'Khalistan Zindabad' and they climbed the car," he said.
Ashish Mishra has also denied the charge that he was at the crime scene when the murders took place. He stated that he was in his paternal village, around two km away, and stayed there all day.
Another saffron party leader pointed out that the BJP has leaders with experience of contesting elections at national and state level or managing polls and there is nothing wrong in using their experience.
The farmers have been on agitation since August 20 by blocking the Delhi-Amritsar national highway near Jalandhar, along with the rail tracks, over their demand for raising the SAP of sugarcane. They have already rejected the hike of Rs 15 per quintal announced by the government last week.
Indian defence forces have employed the best equipment available in the country to locate the wreckage, which includes remotely operated underwater vehicles, handheld navigation system with sonar, side scanner sonar with echo sensor and portable transducer, divers propulsion vehicle, multi-beam sonar and submarine rescue unit of the India Navy, an official statement said.
The convicts are Shaik Showkath, 35, Mohd Khalid, 22, Mohd Afroz, 20, Abdul Salman Khan, 20, Shaik Salman, 22, and Mujahid Khan, 20. They are all residents of New Hafeezpet, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
A Northern Railway spokesperson said that due to farmers agitation in Ferozpur division of Punjab, it has cancelled 68 train including two Vande Bharat and Rajdhani each, four Shatabdi Express, one Duranto, and two Janshatabdi Express trains.
According to police, the robbers, coming out of the Amruth Gold and Silver shop after the crime, saw Chandru approach and opened fire at him, fearing he may try to apprehend them or alert the public. One of the bullets hit Chandru on the head and he died on the spot.
