New Delhi, November 17
The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain – a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court — to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight persons, including four farmers, were killed on October 3.
“The Justice Jain Commission will ensure impartiality and independence of the investigation,” said a Bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana.
The Bench — which included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli – also upgraded the SIT appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government by appointing three senior police officers suggested by the state to it.
Pointing out that most officers in the SIT probing the case were in the grade of sub-inspectors from the Lakhmipur Kheri region, the Bench had on November 15 asked the state government to upgrade it by including some IPS officers in it.
The Bench had asked senior counsel Harish Salve, representing the UP government, to submit names of some UP-cadre IPS officers hailing from other states by Tuesday evening.
Noting that the SIT would continue with the probe, the Bench said the matter would be heard after the filing of status report and charge sheet.
The Uttar Pradesh government had on Monday agreed to the Supreme Court’s suggestion to appoint a retired high court judge to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Dissatisfied with the probe, the Bench had on November 8 said it wanted to appoint former Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Ranjit Singh or Justice Jain to oversee the manner in which statements of witnesses were being recorded.
“It (probe) is not going the way we expected,” the Bench had said, adding it was trying to infuse some “fairness, independence and faith in the investigations”.
Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri when those against farm laws were holding a demonstration against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit. Two BJP workers and a driver were beaten to death allegedly by angry protesters. A local journalist was also killed in the violence.
Ten people, including Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra, have been arrested by an SIT set up by the Uttar Pradesh government.
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