Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Kin look to top court, little faith in Uttar Pradesh police

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Oct 7

“The wait for justice will be long and painful. We are prepared,” says a distraught Ram Dulare Kashyap as the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday summoned the prime accused in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence that killed eight, including Kashyap’s son Raman.

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Not too enthused with the news of police summons to Ashish Mishra, accused of mowing down protesters, Dulare said his hope for justice was pinned on the Supreme Court, which has taken cognisance of the deadly incident. Much like Kashyap, the kin of other victims of the Sunday violence, including Nachatar Singh and Lovepreet Singh, fear lack of justice in the matter.

The UP Government’s move today to constitute a single-member judicial commission under Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, has also not inspired confidence among the affected families or the local inhabitants who have set their eyes on the apex court and its next moves.

“The Supreme Court has come to our rescue. It is only after the SC intervention that the local police have summoned the accused. He may well have absconded already. It has been four days since my brother passed away and there have been no arrests let alone questioning. We are still hearing only of summons. What can we say of the future? We are between hope and despair,” rues Amanpreet Kaur, sister of deceased farmer Lovepreet Singh, whose mother continues to be on saline drip unable to bear the shock of her son’s sudden death.

Even though Lucknow range IG Lakshmi Singh today said summons had been issued to Ashish Mishra, and two more (Ashish Pandey and Luv Kush) were being interrogated for leads, the level of confidence in the police inquiry and state action remains low.

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“No inquiry can help unless the Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra resigns. He controls the police. How will the cops do justice in a case involving his son? We have not yet forgotten the 2003 murder case against Ajay Mishra, who was acquitted in 2004 with the appeal against the acquittal pending in Allahabad High Court. Prabhat Gupta was too young to die,” says Chandra Mohan Mourya, a local teacher who lives in Tikonia just some distance away from where the vehicles belonging to Mishra and his son allegedly rammed into agitating people killing four.