Min’s son fails to show up, police issue second notice
LUCKNOW: The Lakhimpur police on Friday issued a second notice to Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra, asking him to appear before it by 11 am on Saturday in connection with the violence that killed eight people, including four farmers, after he failed to show up in response to the first one and missed his 10am deadline on Friday.
The first notice was pasted on the minister’s Lakhimpur Kheri residence on Thursday, directing Ashish Mishra to appear before the Lakhimpur Kheri police crime branch at reserve police lines at 10am on Friday.
“The notice to Ashish Mishra was issued under Section 160 of the criminal procedure code and he was asked to appear in person and present evidences that he is aware of about the incident. Ashish Mishra has failed to appear. We will now adopt other legal procedures,” said Lakhimpur Kheri superintendent of police (SP) Vijay Dhull, adding that further investigation into the matter, including arrests, will continue by the investigation team.
The latest notice that was also pasted on the wall of Ajay Mishra’s house in Lakhimpur Kheri on Friday afternoon, warned that legal action will be initiated against him (Ashish Mishra) if he fails to appear before the investigators on Saturday, according to the news agency PTI. Earlier in the day on Friday, members of the investigating reached the crime branch at around 9.30am expecting that Ashish Mishra will present himself at the given time or will at least send a representative. However, he did not show up.
A Lakhimpur Kheri police official said Ashish Mishra is still untraceable and his last location was traced somewhere near India-Nepal border very close to Banbirpur village under Tikunia police station limits where the violence erupted after a car allegedly mowed down four farmers on Sunday.
A police officer privy to the investigation said so far there is no communication from Ashish Mishra in connection with the summon issued in his name to cooperate in the investigation.
“The investigation committee headed by deputy inspector general (DIG), police headquarters, Upendra Agarwal and senior member of the committee Sunil Kumar Singh, a commandant at 10th battalion PAC, Barabanki, are discussing the further course of action,” he said.
“If Ashish Mishra does not abide by the summons, legal procedure will be adopted,” Lucknow range inspector general of police Laxmi Singh had said on Thursday.
People aware of the issue said there are unconfirmed reports that Mishra is planning to surrender before a local court on Saturday in compliance with the notice served by the Lakhimpur police. Normalcy returned to Lakhimpur as restrictions on internet services were removed across the district from Friday morning.
The police on Thursday arrested two people identified as Luvkush Rana and Ashish Pandey, UP police Additional Director General (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar had said.
The development came only a few hours after the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a report within a day on how many arrests have been made so far in connection with the case.