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Lakhimpur Kheri violence: UP government agrees SC suggestion to appoint former HC judge to monitor probe

Earlier, the Supreme Court had rapped the Uttar Pradesh government over the delay in filing its status report related to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: UP government agrees SC suggestion to appoint former HC judge to monitor probe-dnm
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New Delhi, First Published Nov 15, 2021, 2:46 PM IST

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to appoint a former High Court judge from outside the state to monitor the ongoing investigation into the Lakhimpur violence in which at least eight people were killed in October. The state government agreed to “upgrade the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and introduce senior officials” to ensure proper investigation.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had directed the state to appoint a former High Court judge and suggested the names of Justices Rakesh Kumar Jain and Ranjit Singh, to oversee the investigation, marred by allegations of negligence.

The court said, “it needs one more day's time as it's considering former Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Rakesh Kumar Jain or others," according to ANI. The court has also ordered the state to also include some more senior police officers in the Special Investigation Agency (SIT).

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On October 3, the lives of 8 people were claimed, four of them being farmers protesters who were allegedly mowed down by the vehicles in the convoy of Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister and BJP MP Ajay Kumar Mishra. The Union minister's son Ashish Mishra, the prime suspect in the case has been arrested along with 12 others.

The bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said that it will have to take the consent of the judge concerned and will consider names of even former apex court and high court judges for monitoring the probe in the sensational case and pronounce the same on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court had earlier rapped up the Uttar Pradesh government over the delay in filing its status report related to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The court had said that the state government appeared to be dragging its feet over the case.

The police have so far arrested 13 accused, including Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, in connection with the case. 

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