In a new twist in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the forensic report has revealed that shots were fired from the guns of union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, who was accused of running over four farmers with his SUV, and his friend Ankit Das.
Both Ashish and Das, who were currently lodged in the district jail after being arrested in connection with the violence, had denied having fired from their licensed firearms.
''The report of the forensic lab has confirmed that shots were fired from Ashish's rifle and Ankit's pistol,'' a senior police official said in Lakhimpur Kheri on Tuesday. The official said that the farmers had alleged that shots were fired by the accused persons.
Two FIRs were lodged after the violence at Tikonia area in the district last month when hundreds of farmers held protests against Ajay Mishra over the latter's remarks threatening them of dire consequences if they continued to oppose the new farm laws.
While one of the FIRs was lodged by the farmers against Ashish, Ankit and some others, another FIR was lodged by a BJP worker against unidentified persons. Police have so far arrested 17 people in this regard.
Both Ashish and his father Ajay Mishra had claimed that the former was not present in any of the vehicles, one of which ran over a crowd of farmers killing four of them, but the farmers claimed that the minister's son was in one of the SUVs with a friend of his.
The killings had triggered nationwide outrage and the farmer leaders, as well as the opposition parties, had demanded the dismissal of Ajay Mishra. Mishra had recently shared the stage with union home minister Amit Shah during a public meeting recently.
The Supreme Court had on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation in the matter by the UP police and directed that the probe be monitored by a retired judge.
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