Lakhimpur violence: Court rejects discharge pleas of Ashish Mishra, others
Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Dec, 2022 11:59 AM
Lakhimpur Kheri, Dec 6 (IANS) A local court has dismissed the discharge applications of 13 accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur violence case, including that of Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State (Home) Ajay Kumar Mishra 'Teni'.
The court of additional district judge I Sunil Kumar Verma has fixed December 6 as the date for framing the charges against the accused in the October 3 violence last year, the government's counsel Arvind Tripathi said.
After the hearing of their applications, the court rejected the pleas of all 13 accused.
Ashish is the main accused in the incident wherein a vehicle belonging to the Union minister allegedly mowed down four farmers during a protest against the now-repealed agricultural laws. Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death, while a local journalist was killed in the violence that ensued.
Farmers maintain that Ashish was in the lead car that ran over people. The minister and his son have denied the latter's alleged involvement.
Both -- Mandeep, alias Manna Tuffan, and Manpreet, alias Mani Rayia -- were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia. Kandowalia, who was facing dozens of cases of murder and attempt to murder, was gunned down outside a private hospital in Amritsar in August last year. The Bhagwanpuria group had taken the responsibility for the murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Phogat. The move came after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended a CBI probe into the case as per demand of Phogat's daughter and people of Haryana.
The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt). His party - Punjab Lok Congress - though had failed to get even a single seat during the assembly elections.
During deliberations, the Chief Minister envisaged opportunities for mutual collaboration in business and solutions. He said that the alliance could provide on-field handholding to Punjab farmers in best practices of crop management.
Balkaur Singh, whose son was shot dead in daylight on May 29 close to his Moosa village in Punjab on May 28, had complained of uneasiness on Thursday night following which he was admitted to a private hospital in Patiala from where he was shifted to the PGIMER here.
Majithia told the media here that this was also necessary because the AAP government had neither made the FIR registered in this case public even after 24 hours, nor taken any action against any BJP leader or middlemen involved.
