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wherein a vehicle belonging to the Union minister allegedly mowed down four farmers during a protest against the now-repealed agricultural laws.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.
On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), Navjot Singh (30), Satpal Singh (28) and Gurpreet Kaur (30).
