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The Other Four Killed in Lakhimpur Kheri: UP Minister’s Driver, 2 BJP Workers, a Journalist

By: Arunima and Qazi Faraz Ahmad

Last Updated: October 04, 2021, 13:37 IST

Lakhimpur Kheri and Lucknow

A vehicle set ablaze after violence broke out after agitating farmers were allegedly run over by a vehicle in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. (PTI Photo)

A vehicle set ablaze after violence broke out after agitating farmers were allegedly run over by a vehicle in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. (PTI Photo)

BJP Spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi says a high-level probe will be done in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and those found guilty will not be ‘spared’.

Minister of state for home Ajay Mishra Teni’s driver, two BJP workers and a local reporter are among the nine who have died in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri incident, which turned violent on October 3 after a week-long protests by farmers.

The driver was Hari Om Mishra whose vehicle, as per the Minister’s aides, was pelted with stones in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. These aides claim that Mishra lost his balance when one stone hit his head, overturning the vehicle that crushed at least two farmers. Mishra is also said to be associated with the BJP Yuva Morcha.

The vehicle also had BJP’s zonal chief Shyam Sundar and booth president Shubham Mishra, who along with the driver, were allegedly beaten with sticks and stones by agitating farmers. Later, their vehicle was set on fire.

A local reporter of Sadhna channel, Raman Kashyap, was also reportedly attacked, and succumbed to the injuries on Monday. He was missing since Sunday evening and his body was identified by his family early on Monday morning. There is however no official version of events yet on who attacked the journalist.

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Functionaries close to minister Teni said three others were grievously injured in the clash and “are undergoing treatment at the local district hospital.” The three injured have been identified by the locals as Lav Kush, resident of Banvirpur, Teni’s ancestral village, Asish from Tara Nagar and driver Shekhar from Lucknow.

So far, the Lakhimpur district administration has confirmed the names of only four farmers who died in the incident — Gurvinder Singh, 20, from village Makronia in Nanpara, 35-year-old Daljit Singh of Banjara in Nanpara, Nakshatra Singh, 65, from Nayapurva village in Dhaurhara, and 20-year-old Lavprit Singh of Chaukra farm in Palia Kalan.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told News18, “The entire Lakhimpur incident is very sad and unfortunate, the way political parties instead of showing sympathy have started doing dirty politics is even more unfortunate. A high-level probe will be done in the entire incident and those found guilty will not be spared at any cost. The UP government will not spare anyone who will be found in such a heinous incident.”

Tripathi stressed that every aspect of the incident needs to probed as several videos were purportedly making the rounds on social media. “Any kind of rumours should not be propagated, all the aspects are being investigated scientifically and we should all wait for the investigation results.”

MoS Teni, whose son allegedly drove the vehicle that rammed protesting farmers and killed nine in Lakhimpur Kheri, said his son was not even present at the spot when the incident took place. Teni slammed the incident and called it a “conspiracy”.

Mishra told CNN-News18, “My son was not even present at the spot… the allegations against him are false… there is video evidence proving his alibi.”

A ruckus ensued when Teni was on his way to his ancestral village after an event in Lakhimpur city. Farmers had gathered displaying black flags to protest a statement he had made in his speech. After the crushing incident, however, angry farmers present at the spot allegedly torched a vehicle belonging to the minister’s convoy.

He claimed that Ashish was at an event organised at their ancestral village since 11 am on October 3. “He was there since 11 am. He didn’t even go home. There were at least 2,000 people present at the venue, including district administration officials. He, too, would have been lynched had he been in the car,” Teni said.

The police on Monday registered a case of murder and rioting against minister Teni’s son Ashish Mishra and 13 others. The police have invoked Sections of 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 147 (rioting) over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

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first published:October 04, 2021, 13:37 IST
last updated:October 04, 2021, 13:37 IST