Lakhimpur Kheri violence

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Last edited October 14, 2021


Lakhimpur Kheri violence
LocationLakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh India
DateOctober 3, 2021 (2021-10-03)
TargetProtesting farmers (pedestrians)
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack followed by mob lynching
WeaponsSport utility vehicle
Deaths8
Injured10
Accused4
town
Location of Tikunia, in Lakhimpur Kheri
Coordinates: 28°22′59″N 80°57′59″E / 28.38317°N 80.966478°E / 28.38317; 80.966478

Lakhimpur Kheri violence was a vehicle-ramming attack and mob lynching incident during farmers’ protest against the three farm laws passed by the BJP led Union Government. It happened on 3 October 2021 at Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, India resulting in the deaths of eight people and injuries to 10 others. Four protesters were run over by the car, three others were lynched by protestors in the subsequent violence[1][2] and a 28 year old journalist working with the private TV news channel was among those killed.[3] Leader of farm protest Rakesh Tikait defended the accused in lynching of BJP workers[4] as well as the role of Sikh extremists in the mob-lynching.[5] A local politician named as an accused in a police complaint on mob lynching of Shubham Mishra [6] is yet to be apprehended by law enforcement.

Incident[edit | edit source]

On 3 October 2021, hundreds of farmers in Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh were returning after staging protests as part of the 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest against the three farm laws passed by the BJP led Union Government. The protestors were blocking UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to Banbirpur village.[7] The protestors walking on the road were hit from behind by a speeding Thar SUV car, that also ran over them. Two other vehicles in the convoy quickly followed the first car and crushed the injured who were lying on the ground.[8]

Eight people including four protestors died[7] and ten were injured.[9][10] Two protesters died on the spot after being run over by the car and two more injured protestors later died in the hospital.[11] Three persons in the Minister’s convoy were lynched by farmers subsequently. The victims included driver of Ajay Mishra and two BJP workers.[11]

Raman Kashyap, a 28-year-old journalist working with the private TV news channel was among those killed.[12][11] His father who witnessed the incident, stated that Kashyap was hit by the car and grievously injured.

Two of these cars involved were owned by the union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra. According to the eyewitnesses the minister's son, Ashish Mishra, was in one of the cars in the convoy[13] but he denied the allegations, saying that he was not present on the spot and he was watching a wrestling event some 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) away in the area and shared some photos and videos of the said event.[14][15] In an interview with India TV on October 5, Ashish accepted that the vehicle seen in the viral video of the incident was his, but added that he was not at the place where the violence took place. Mishra appeared for questioning before a special investigation team on October 9 and was arrested and taken to custody the late evening.[16]

Investigation[edit | edit source]

Two First information reports (FIR) on the incident were filed in the Tikunia police station.[17] Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, was allegedly driving the car involved in the incident. Mishra had denied the charge and evaded police questioning for six days.[18][19]

The Supreme court heard the case after two lawyers from Uttar Pradesh wrote to the chief justice NV Ramana, seeking a federal investigation into the incident. Supreme Court criticised the Uttar Pradesh government and expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken so far. The court also asked the police why the minister's son had not been arrested when he was accused of a serious crime of murder. Chief Justice NV Ramana speaking for the court disapproved of the special investigation team set up by the UP government as "the people in the commission, they're all local officers".[11][20][21]

Ashish Mishra appeared for questioning before a special investigation team 6 days after the incident. He was arrested and taken to custody on October 9, 2021, late evening.[11] Three more people were also arrested.[2][22]

On 12 October, Mishra was taken to the incident site for reconstruction of the events.[22]

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

Representative picture of the Mahindra Thar SUV, the same model involved in the incident

An alleged video of the incident shared by BJP MP Varun Gandhi showed a vehicle ramming unarmed protesters from behind.[23]

Leader of farm protest Rakesh Tikait defended the accused in lynching of BJP workers[24] as well as the role of Sikh extremists in the mob-lynching.[25]

On 9 October, Farmer unions termed the Lakhimpur Kheri violence an "act of terror" that was part of a larger conspiracy to break the 10-month-old farmers’ protest. The union stated, this "violence" during the farmer's movement was analogous to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre during the Indian freedom movement. The unions and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) planned several protests calling for the immediate dismissal and arrest of Union minister of state for home, Ajay Mishra Teni, and his son Ashish.[26][27][28]

Reference[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Eight killed in violence during protest against ministers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri: Police". Hindustan Times. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Lakhimpur Kheri deaths: SIT arrests driver of SUV in convoy". The Indian Express. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021. While four protesters and allegedly a journalist were run over, three others were killed in the subsequent violence.
  3. ↑ "Local journalist among 8 killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence". Tribune India. Tribune News Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Delhi/NoidaOctober 9, Amit Bhardwaj; October 9, 2021UPDATED:; Ist, 2021 18:01. "Reaction to action: Rakesh Tikait on killing of BJP workers during Lakhimpur Kheri violence". India Today. Retrieved 13 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help); |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Oct 10, IP Singh / TNN / Updated:; 2021; Ist, 14:31. "Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Sant or terrorist? | Ludhiana News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help); |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Lakhimpur Violence: SP leader Tajinder accused of killing Shubham Mishra". News Track. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Eight killed in violence during protest against ministers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri: Police". Hindustan Times. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Lakhimpur Kheri: 15-Year-Old Still In Trauma After Seeing Father Being Crushed Under The Wheel". outlookindia.com/. Retrieved 13 October 2021. The father and son were walking together along with hundreds of other farmers to their houses when the jeep came from behind and ran over many of them. In quick succession, two other vehicles, a Scorpion and Fortuner, followed it crushing all those who were already seriously injured and lying on the ground.
  9. ↑ "Farmers run over by Union Minister's convoy in Lakhimpur Khiri: 3 dead". Gauri Lankesh News. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Protesting Farmers 'Crushed to Death' by Union Minister's Convoy in UP". groundxero. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Ashish Mishra: India minister's son arrested over Lakhimpur violence". BBC News. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Local journalist among 8 killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence". Tribune India. Tribune News Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Team, N. L. "Lakhimpur Kheri violence: What happened on October 3 and what do we know so far?". Newslaundry. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Lakhimpur Kheri: India minister's son evades police questioning". BBC News. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  15. ↑ Singh, IP (7 October 2021). "Punjab BJP maintains silence on Lakhimpur Kheri | Chandigarh News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  16. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lakhimpur-khrri-violence-union-ministers-son-questioned-for-9-hours/articleshow/86895569.cms
  17. ↑ Saxena, Nidhi Suresh,Shivangi. "Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Eyewitnesses recall what they saw on October 3". Newslaundry. Retrieved 13 October 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ "Lakhimpur Kheri: India minister's son evades police questioning". BBC News. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Singh, IP (7 October 2021). "Punjab BJP maintains silence on Lakhimpur Kheri | Chandigarh News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 9 October 2021. When all other parties in Punjab are very active on Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, Punjab BJP has been maintaining a complete silence on it.
  20. ↑ "Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Supreme Court slams UP government over delay in arrest of Ashish Misra". Hindustan Times.
  21. ↑ Roy, Debayan. "Lakhimpur Kheri Uttar Pradesh massacre: "Action of UP govt only in words:" Supreme Court unhappy with probe". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Lakhimpur Kheri: Ashis Mishra to be taken to violence site". www.telegraphindia.com. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  23. ↑ ""Crystal clear": BJP's Varun Gandhi tweets new Lakhimpur video, demands jutice". Hindustan Times.
  24. ↑ Delhi/NoidaOctober 9, Amit Bhardwaj; October 9, 2021UPDATED:; Ist, 2021 18:01. "Reaction to action: Rakesh Tikait on killing of BJP workers during Lakhimpur Kheri violence". India Today. Retrieved 13 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help); |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Oct 10, IP Singh / TNN / Updated:; 2021; Ist, 14:31. "Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Sant or terrorist? | Ludhiana News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 October 2021. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help); |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ↑ "Farmer unions term Lakhimpur Kheri carnage 'a terror act'". telegraphindia.com. 10 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  27. ↑ "Lakhimpur Kheri incident 'terror attack', part of 'pre-planned conspiracy', SKM alleges". 9 October 2021.
  28. ↑ Jaiswal, Anuja (7 October 2021). "Lakhimpur Kheri incident no less than a terror attack, says Jayant Chaudhary, seeks UAPA against minister, son | Agra News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
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