New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Tuesday once again raised several questions over the “lax” attitude of the Uttar Pradesh government in the Lakhimpur Kheri murder case and ordered speedy investigation along with providing proper protection to witnesses.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Raman ordered the government to expedite the conduct of the testimonies of the witnesses under Section 164 of the CrPC. The top court, during the hearing of the PIL, said that if the judicial officer is not available in the area concerned to record the statements of witnesses under section 164 of CrPC, then the district judge is required to record the statement under section 164 before another magistrate of the nearby area. can arrange.
The bench said that we order the Uttar Pradesh government to make proper security arrangements for the witnesses, however, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said that security is being given.
During the same hearing in the Supreme Court, advocate Arun Bhardwaj, appearing for Ruby Devi, the widow of Shyam Sundar, who was killed in the incident, pleaded for justice. He said that he is being threatened, the killers are roaming freely.
Shyam is accused of crushing the farmers. He was murdered in the violence that followed the incident. Justice was also demanded on behalf of the relatives of the journalist killed in this case. On this, the judge ordered the government to submit a separate status report in this matter. The next hearing of the case will be on November 08.
The Uttar Pradesh government presented the progress report in this matter in the court today. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the government, told the bench that out of total 68 witnesses, statements of 30 have been recorded under section 164 of CrPC. Among them there are 23 eyewitnesses. The Chief Justice expressed surprise at the information of only 23 eyewitnesses and said that there are only 23 eyewitnesses in the crowd of thousands.
It is noteworthy that on October 03, four farmers were crushed to death by a car during a program of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. And four others were killed in the violence that followed. Including the car driver. Two Bharatiya Janata Party workers also died in the incident. Shyam Sundar and a journalist are also among the dead.
The police have arrested many accused, including the son of the Union Minister of State for Home, among the accused in the case of crushing the farmers with a car.
