The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Uttar Pradesh government until November 15 to respond to the suggestion that a former judge of a “different high court” monitor the state SIT probe in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed on October 3, on a day-to-day basis.
The bench, which also included Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, agreed to the plea and stated, “List on Monday.” On November 8, the Supreme Court voiced unhappiness with the inquiry and urged that a former judge from a “other high court” watch it on a daily basis to infuse “independence, impartiality, and fairness” into the continuing investigation.
Read also: SC Not Satisfied with UP Govt. Actions in Lakhimpur Violence
The bench also expressed its dissatisfaction with the one-member judicial commission constituted by the state and stated that it did not want the investigation to continue. The state administration was asked to explain its position on the request that a former judge of a separate high court supervise the investigation. The bench had stated, “We, way or another, are not confident, and we do not want any judicial panel formed by your state government to continue.”
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police was also chastised for snatching the phone of Ashish Mishra, one of the detained 13 suspects, as well as the phones of witnesses to the alleged mowing down of the farmers. “The status report has been seen. The status report says little more than that more witnesses have been questioned. We gave you ten days to do your task. The laboratory reports have yet to arrive. No, no, no, things aren’t going as planned “It had stated so.
Read also: SC Asks UP Govt to Submit Status Report Regarding Lakhimpur Violence
The Supreme Court was hearing a case regarding the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, in which eight people were murdered, including four farmers, during a farmers’ protest. When a group protesting the Centre’s three new agricultural rules held a rally against the arrival of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on October 3, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in the convoy near Lakhimpur Kheri.
