UP govt forms judicial panel to probe Lakhimpur incident

The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which eight people including four farmers were killed on October 3.

Retired Allahabad high court judge Pradeep Kumar Srivastava has been named to enquire into the eruption of violence on Sunday on Tikonia-Banbirpur road in Lakhimpur Kheri district.

However, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the case should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge, and not a retired judge

The Uttar Pradesh government has already issued a notification on the constitution of the commission which will be headquartered at Lakhimpur Kheri. It has been given two months' time to complete the probe.

'The Governor is pleased to appoint Justice high court, Allahabad (retd) Pradeep Kumar Srivastava as a single-member Commission of enquiry with Headquarters at Lakhimpur Kheri,' the notification dated October 6 said.

'The Commission shall complete the enquiry within a period of two months from the date of the issue of this notification. Any change in its tenure shall be at the behest of the Government,' it added.

Eight people were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Sunday.

Of the eight, four were farmers who were allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by Bharatiya Janata Party workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

The other four were two BJP workers, a driver of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and a journalist working for a private television channel.

Setting up of a judicial inquiry was one of the components of the agreement brokered by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on behalf of the protesting farmers with the state government a day after the October 3 incident.

Justice Srivastava was appointed a judge in the Allahabad High Court on November 22, 2018 and he retired from there on September 29 last month.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge, and not by a retired judge.

She also sought the resignation of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra whose son faces a first information report (FIR) under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder) in connection with the case. The FIR has been registered at the Tikonia police station

Priyanka Gandhi, who had on Wednesday met the families of three of the eight people killed in the violence, told reporters in Lucknow, 'In my view and that of the victims' families as well, the case should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge, and not the retired judge.'

Before leaving for Bahraich, Priyanka Gandhi said, 'I don't want to comment on the probe as it has not started yet. But I can say that for an unbiased probe, the minister should resign as he has the Home portfolio and all this comes under him.'