The family of 19-year-old Lovepreet Singh, who lost his life in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, questioned the police inaction about Ashish Mishra, the son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, whom they accuse of running over peaceful protesters. Congress's Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family on Wednesday, along with other families who lost their loved ones in the horrific episode.
Ashish Misra has been accused of murder and negligence in the First Information Report filed by the police. But the police are yet to arrest or question him.
Satnam Singh, the father of Lovepreet Singh, said, "The government has announced compensation but of what use is it? The police have neither questioned nor arrested Ashish Mishra and this is what we highlighted before Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi".
Asked if the VIP factor is weighing heavily in the issue, the Additional Director General of the state police, Prahsant Kumar, told NDTV, "It was decided at the outset that the culprits will not be allowed get away and an FIR was registered... No one will be spared. Cannot decide things from studios and our offices. We have cremated the last body today. The main challenge was law and order".
"Technical evidence is permanent. It cannot be influenced. We will name the accused with time," he said.
Asked if the police was under pressure, he said, "What pressure? FIR registered, families are satisfied, court too... Time will tell how we act. We will nail the culprit, book them, produce them before the court. We are aware world is looking at us".
A senior police officer said yesterday that they have been "busy" with multiple issues, including negotiations with the farmers, postmortems and cremation.
The minister and his son have denied that they were present on the spot. Ajay Mishra, though, has admitted that the vehicle belongs to them.
The minister has also said the farmers had attacked the vehicle, stoning it and some of them were crushed under the SUV when it toppled over.
A clear video emerged on Wednesday, however, throws up multiple questions. The video shows a speeding SUV coming from behind the farmers, who were walking along a narrow road and plough through them. There was no indication of the farmers attacking the vehicle.
NDTV has not been able to verify the authenticity of the video.
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the events in Lakhimpur Kheri and a bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana will hear the issue today.
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